Clypeaster rarispinus

Scientific Name:-

Clypeaster rarispinus

Common Name:-

Cake urchins

Malayalam Name:-

Kadal biscuit

Category:-

Echinodermata

Status:-

Unknown

Description:-

Chocolate brownish test with darker patches on the oral and aboral side. Test delicate and often broken in preserved specimen. Shape rounded with sutures on the aboral plates showing a dark reticulum. Aboral surface convex at the centre and oral surface flat. Aboral apex is centrally located. Aboral surface with a distinctly raised petaloidium with upto 60 pore pairs along ambulacrum of the petal. Petals fairly narrow, angular terminally and the pore pairs of the petaloids form a closed outline. Margin of the test abrubtly thickened and the ambitus almost rounded. Oral ambulacral furrows prominent and extends to the margin of the test. Apical system consists of 5 gonopores surrounding the madreporite. Oral surface contain a centrally placed peristome and ventrally postioned periproct near the edge of the skeleton along the line of symmetry of posterior interambulacrum. Posterior edge of the test with a slight bulge opposite to the periproct. Uniform distribution of small sunken perforated tubercles on both oral and aboral surfaces and body is covered by a fur of very short spines.

Threats:-

Not recorded

Remark:-

From Kerala, this species is reported from Vizhinjam coast (Jayakumari, 2004 and James, 2007).

Habitat:-

Continental shelf

Synonyms:-

Clypeaster (Leptoclypus) rarispinus de Meijere, 1903; Coronanthus rarispinus (de Meijere, 1903); Clypeaster audouini Fourtau, 1904; Stolonoclypus audouini Fourtau, 1904

References:-

Clark, A. M and F.W.E. Rowe 1971. Monograph of shallow-water Indo West Pacific echinoderms. London. 238 pp.
James, D. B. 2007. Echinoderms of the West Coast of India. Fishing Chimes, 27(7): 19- 21.
Jayakumari, M. 2004. Studies on the ecophysiology of echinoderms along the coast of Kerala. Ph.D. Thesis submitted to the University of Kerala,. 226pp.
Sastry, R. K. (2007). Echinodermata of India: An annotated check list . Rec. zool. Surv. India. Occ. paper No.271: 1-387

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