Title
Echinometra
Author(s)
McClanahan, T. R.; Muthiga, N. A.
Published
2013
Publisher
Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science
Abstract
Echinometra is the most common and abundant sea urchin in the tropics and the focus of a broad array of evolutionary, biological and ecological studies. There are an estimated eight species that have evolved primarily by isolation associated with distance and sea level change. Echinometra has a small body size and low resource requirements, which allow it to live in cryptic, stressful and low predation environments. Echinometra flexibly allocates resources primarily to reproduction, and its high reproduction and recruitment rates make it able to colonize low predation habitats quickly. Triggerfish, larger-bodied wrasses, emperors and porgies are the main predators of Echinometra. Echinometra has two feeding modes, one consuming benthic algae and the other reliant on detritus. Echinometra can reach very high densities (>100 m-2), particularly when detritus is abundant, and they can be a major contributor to reef erosion when feeding on benthic algae. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB14303