Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776)
Green Sea Urchin
Synonyms: Strongylocentrotus droehbachiensis
CLASSIFICATION
Main Group: Animal
Sublevel 1: Non-chordate Invertebrate
Sublevel 2: Invertebrate with bilateral symmetry
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoidea
Order: Echinoida
Family: Strongylocentrotidae
Genus: Strongylocentrotus
Species: Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
STATUS IN NEW ENGLAND
Origin: Native
Invasive, Pest, or Pathogen?: No
Rarity Designations:
ME WAP (2015) - SGCN (Tier 2 - High Priority)
RI WAP (2015) - SGCN
BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY
Feeding Type: Heterotroph
HABITAT
PHOTOS OF Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
Test (skeleton). Top side (aboral side). The anus is located in the circular area on the top that looks like a cogwheel.
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-12-01
Zoomed in view of anal area on test. The anus is located within the cogwheel-like area. (It's the relatively large somewhat circular opening that's a bit below and to the right of the center of the "cogwheel") Evenly spread out along the periphery of the "cogwheel" are five small pores (gonopores) through which sperm or eggs are released into the water.
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-12-01
Dead sea urchin with broken spines remaining. Top side (aboral side).
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-12-01
Dead sea urchin. Underside (oral side). The mouth is visible in the center.
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-12-01
Close-up of the mouth on the dead sea urchin. The five teeth in the center form part of a chewing/scraping apparatus called "Aristotle's lantern." Surrounding the mouth is the peristomial membrane, which connects the lantern to the test (skeleton).
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-12-01