Lytechinus variegatus

Green sea urchin | Carolinus Variegated Urchin | Variegated Urchin
Lytechinus variegatus
Lytechinus variegatus, Abrolhos Islands, Brazil, Photo: Sophie Edgar
Lytechinus variegatus
Lytechinus variegatus, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Lytechinus variegatus
Lytechinus variegatus, Abrolhos Islands, Brazil, Photo: Sophie Edgar
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Lytechinus variegatus
Lytechinus variegatus
Lytechinus variegatus

Distribution

Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean


Description

Variable coloured spines, and white pedicellaria (tentacle-like structures between spines). These white pedicellaria distinguish if from the similar Lytechinus williamsi (Jewel Urchin) which has purple pedicellaria. The spines radiate in a spoke like pattern from the centre of the shell in more or less dense wedges.


Information

Max Size: 11 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 27-29.6°C

Depth: 0-50m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Frequent (12.9% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Joe Shields