Gracilechinus is a genus of sea urchins in the family Echinidae.

Gracilechinus
Gracilechinus acutus at the Biodiversarium of the Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoidea
Order: Camarodonta
Family: Echinidae
Genus: Gracilechinus
Fell & Pawson, 1966
Species

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Description and characteristics

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The species in this genus are regular sea urchins, with a rounded test, bearing the anus at the top and the mouth at the bottom. They are extremely similar to species in the genus Echinus, but are differentiated by a primary tubercle on every interambulacral plate.[1]

Most species in this genus are abyssal, and live in the North Atlantic or close cold seas.

Species

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Species in this genus include:[2]

Image Scientific name Distribution
  Gracilechinus acutus (Lamarck, 1816) Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic)
Gracilechinus affinis (Mortensen, 1903) center Atlantic
Gracilechinus alexandri (Döderlein & Koren, 1883) Northern Atlantic
Gracilechinus atlanticus (Mortensen, 1903) Atlantic
Gracilechinus elegans (Düben & Koren, 1844) North-east Atlantic
  Gracilechinus gracilis (Agassiz, 1869) Caribbean
  Gracilechinus lucidus (Döderlein, 1885) North-west Pacific
Gracilechinus stenoporus (Mortensen, 1942) South Africa
 
Test of a Gracilechinus acutus

References

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  1. ^ "Gracilechinus". Echinoid Directory.
  2. ^ Andreas Kroh (2015), Gracilechinus in Kroh, A. & Mooi, R. (2015), World Echinoidea Database.