A new morphotype description of Arbacia spatuligera Valenciennes, 1846 (Arbacioida, Echinoidea) and bathymetric range extension from mesophotic reefs of the central coast of Chile

The sea urchin Arbacia spatuligera is an echinoid distributed in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean from Peru to Chile. This species was previously reported from the subtidal zone with a bathymetric distribution up to 30 m depth. In this work, 128 individuals were found in four mesophotic reefs along th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2024-05, Vol.104, Article e48
Main Authors: Moreno-Mendoza, Rigoberto, Courville, Erwan, Angeles-Gonzalez, Luis Enrique, Duarte, Julio, Carulla, Marc, Malfanti-Bravo, Daniel, Mena-Auladell, Andrés, Saucède, Thomas, Simões, Nuno, Poulin, Elie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Arbacia
Artificial reefs
Biodiversity and Ecology
Depth
Environmental Sciences
Fishing equipment
Habitats
Marine invertebrates
Morphology
Range extension
Reefs
Scuba & skin diving
Scuba diving
Vertical distribution
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Summary:The sea urchin Arbacia spatuligera is an echinoid distributed in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean from Peru to Chile. This species was previously reported from the subtidal zone with a bathymetric distribution up to 30 m depth. In this work, 128 individuals were found in four mesophotic reefs along the central coast off Chile using closed-circuit rebreathers in technical diving at higher depths than previously, ranging from 36 to 63 m in depth. A population exhibits unexpected morphological characters, requiring an emended diagnosis and description of a new morphotype for A. spatuligera . These morphological traits are further discussed as potential ecophenotypic adaptations.
ISSN:0025-3154
1469-7769
DOI:10.1017/S0025315424000389