Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Irregular recruitment of the echinoid Echinocyamus pusillus and its implications for biological traits analysis
Warwick, R.M.; Pearce, B. (2020). Irregular recruitment of the echinoid Echinocyamus pusillus and its implications for biological traits analysis. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 100(7): 1123-1127. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315420000934
In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press/Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: Cambridge. ISSN 0025-3154; e-ISSN 1469-7769, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Echinocyamus pusillus (O.F. Müller, 1776) [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Warwick, R.M., more
  • Pearce, B.

Abstract
    Size-frequency analysis of the echinoid Echinocyamus pusillus from six offshore areas in the southern North Sea and eastern English Channel reveal five distinct cohorts, suggesting a lifespan of five years. In all six individual areas one or more year-groups are absent, due to the unsuccessful recruitment of planktonic larvae to the seabed in some years, giving a false impression of a shorter lifespan. A relatively long lifespan and planktotrophic larval development are remarkable for such a small species, which reaches a maximum test length of 7.3 mm in the area, such traits being more typical of large-sized macrobenthic species. The feeding mode is akin to that of many meiobenthic taxa. The architecture of the test confers exceptional strength and resilience to mechanical perturbation.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors