Diadema palmeri

Diadematidae
Palmer’s Urchin
  • Diadema palmeri, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
    Diadema palmeri, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
  • Diadema palmeri, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
    Diadema palmeri, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
  • Diadema palmeri, Poor Knights Is, New Zealand, Photo: Andrew Green
    Diadema palmeri, Poor Knights Is, New Zealand, Photo: Andrew Green
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
When observed underwater it has a dark appearance, but torchlight or sunlight reveals intense orange-red hues and, in the centre of the upper surface, a light-brown structure (the anal cone) with a black central spot. This species is found only on the deeper temperate reefs off New South Wales and New Zealand.
Information
  • Max Size: 7 cm
  • Sea Temperature Range: 15.4-24.5°C
  • Depth: 10-60m
  • Habitat: Rocky Reef
Rarity
  • IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
  • Occurrence: Infrequent (3% 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: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney
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