pencil urchin
Phyllacanthus imperialis
Large sea urchin. Large 'pencil' like spines, often light and dark banded. Rigid oval test.
Morphology
Test is dark purplish brown, spines are cream to light or dark brown, often banded. Fine longitudinal ridges on spines.
Behaviour
Nocturnal, conspicuous on tropical reefs
Method of reproduction
Sexual
Habitat
Marine
Shallow tropical reefs: Indo-Pacific 0-73 metres depth. Commonly found on shallow water reefs in holes and crevices.
Distribution
Common in tropical Indo-Pacific. North western & eastern Australia, including Torres Strait & Lord Howe Island
Life Cycle
Lecithotropic larvae
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Subphylum: | Echinozoa |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Subclass: | Cidaroidea |
| Order: | Cidaroida |
| Superfamily: | Cidaroidea |
| Family: | Cidaridae |
| Tribe: | Phyllacanthina |
| Genus: | Phyllacanthus |
| Species: | imperialis |
| Name Published Year: | 1816 |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name Authorship: | Lamarck |
| Commercial Impact: | None |
| Conservation Assessment: | Least Concern |
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/Phyllacanthus-imperialis
Accessed 31 Aug 2023
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