''Strongylocentrotus fragilis'' is a species of

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) ...

of the family

Strongylocentrotidae The Strongylocentrotidae are a family of sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal ...

Description and characteristics

This is a regular sea urchin, with a spherical test bearing the anus and top and mouth on the bottom. They are somewhat flattened, and of pale pinkish color with white spines. It is a deep-sea species, and they can occur in great number where food is abundant.

Habitat and range

This is an abyssal species, occurring at many hundred meters deep on the western coasts of the North America. They are distributed throughout the continental shelf and slope, being most abundant in the 200-300m depth range.

Taxonomy

It was first scientifically described in 1912 by Jackson.Kroh, A. (2010)
''Strongylocentrotus fragilis''
(Jackson, 1912). In: Kroh, A. & Mooi, R. (2010) World Echinoidea Database. at the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific speciali ...

. This species is often referred as ''Allocentrotus fragilis'', and its taxonomy is still under debate.

References

Strongylocentrotidae Animals described in 1912 {{Echinoidea-stub