Heart urchin

Loveniidae
Echinocardium cordatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Class:
Echinoidea
Order:
Spatangoida
Family:
Loveniidae

Lambert 1905

Heart urchins are burrowing echinoids. This life-style is similar to that of sand dollars, but the heart urchins belong to another group. Heart urchins belong to the Family Loveniidae in the Order Spatangoida.[1][2]

Echinocardium is the standard British heart urchin on sandy shores. Its spicules are converted to soft form, and they have sticky tube-feet which pass food to their gut. They can burrow up to five times their own height, and still keep connection with the surface for oxygenated water and food.[1]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nichols D. 1962. Echinoderms. Hutchinson, London. p76 ISBN 0-09-065994-5
  2. ↑ Nichols D. 1959. Mode of life of recent and fossil Spatangoida. Syst. Assoc. Publ. 3, 61-80.
Pelagic early pluteus larva of Echinocardium cordatum
Spatangus purpureus: Heart urchin, from the Belgian continental shelf.