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DeutschBrissus unicolor
| Brissus unicolor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Brissus unicolor test from Antiparos, Greece | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Order: | Spatangoida |
| Family: | Brissidae |
| Genus: | Brissus |
| Species: | B. unicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Brissus unicolor (Leske, 1778) | |
Brissus unicolor is a species of sea urchins of the family Brissidae. Their armour is covered with spines. Brissus unicolor was first scientifically described in 1778 by Nathanael Gottfried Leske.[1]
Habitat
[edit]The urchin buries itself in the coarse sand at depths of 6 to 250 meters (which is why it is rarely observed alive). In the Mediterranean Sea they can be sometimes found living buried in the sediment near the tapeweed, Posidonia oceanica.
Description
[edit]When alive, the urchin's whole body is covered in brown spines. After the urchin dies, its shell (also called a "test") has a distinctive pattern that consists of many grey spots. These spots are present on the urchin's test temporarily, disappearing after some time, leaving the urchin a white or a pale brown color.
The urchin's test becomes thicker as the urchin matures. The test can reach a length of about 14 cm.
Distribution
[edit]This species lives in the Mediterranean Sea and some parts of the Atlantic Ocean. [2]
References
[edit]- ^ Kroh, A. (2010). Brissus unicolor (Leske, 1778). In: Kroh, A. & Mooi, R. (2010) World Echinoidea Database. at the World Register of Marine Species.
- ^ sealifebase.ca
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