Rock-boring urchin
Echinometra lucunter
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Description:
The body of this species is elliptical in outline, not round. The spines are short, thick and sharply pointed. The color of the body and the spines is usually reddish brown, but it can vary from almost black with shades of purple or green.
Size: Body up to 8 cm. Spines up to 4 cm.

Habitat:
The species lives in the shallower areas on the reef, even along the low tide level, but occasionally deeper. It lives in a shallow hole, where it hides during the day. At night it feeds on algae near its hole.
Depth: ranges from 0 m down to 5 m.

Distribution:
Common all over the Caribbean.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Echinoidea
Genus Echinometra
Species Echinometra lucunter

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Synonym of Echinometra mathaei (de Blainville, 1825)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Rock-boring urchin [English]

Humann, P., 1992. Reef Creature Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

Voss, G.L., 1976. Seashore life of Florida and the Carribbean. Banyan Books, Inc. Miami, Florida.

You can continue searching for Echinometra lucunter on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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