Concarneau Bay, France, 8 meters, 2005, WBN
Sphaerechinus granularis is a sea urchin of up to 12 cm in diameter. It is globular, slightly top-flattened. The test is dark purple and spines may be purple too but very often with white tips or even entirely white. It often covers itself with algae or shell remains held by its tube-feet and pedicellariae. It feeds on algae grazed on rock surface. It lives on rocks, boulders and also on Maerl, a calcareous algae.
Sphaerechinus granularis is found from surface to 100 m deep in the Atlantic Ocean down to Cape Verdes, in the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea.
Source : World Register of Marine Species
Dernière mise à jour 21-12-2024
Tube foot : tube-shaped element ending by a sucker-disc used to attach to subtratum or to bring food particles into the mouth.
Pedicellariae : minute jawed elements of sea urchins and starfish used to clean body surface and as defensive means.
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2024.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Image satellite: © Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.
Données de distribution : Sphaerechinus granularis in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-21.
Tube foot : tube-shaped element ending by a sucker-disc used to attach to subtratum or to bring food particles into the mouth.
Pedicellariae : minute jawed elements of sea urchins and starfish used to clean body surface and as defensive means.
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2024.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Bay-Nouailhat A., November 2005, Description of Sphaerechinus granularis, [On line] https://european-marine-life.org/30/sphaerechinus-granularis.php, consulted on 2024 December 21.
Author
Project manager in marine environment
Professional diver - Naturalist
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