Loxechinus albus
Chilean sea urchin | Erizo Rojo | Red Urchin
Distribution
Temperate South America
Description
Red urchin with a dense covering of yellow based spines grading to red tips. Spines vary in length, with spines of the same length arranged in rows radiating outwards from the centre of the shell.
Information
Max Size: 10 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 4.4-18.9°C
Depth: 0-340m
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: Common (47.6% 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: Large aggregations (190 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields