Holopneustes inflatus
Inflated egg urchin
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Ovoid egg-shaped sea urchin, with the height often exceeding the width, and with uniform white to purple primary spines. The tube feet (and associated pores in the test through which the tube feet pass) form much wider bands than for H. porosissimus. The species generally occurs wrapped in fronds of the kelp Ecklonia radiata and feeds on the host plant.
Information
Max Size: 7 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 10.8-22.3°C
Depth: 0-30m
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 (17.1% 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: Few (3 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