Tripneustes gratilla |
Taxonomical systematics |
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Scientific name |
Tripneustes gratilla (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Common names |
Collector Urchin, |
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Genus |
Tripneustes |
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Family |
Toxopneustidae |
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Order |
Temnopleuroida |
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Class |
Echinoidea |
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Phylum |
Echinodermata |
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Local ecology |
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Distribution |
Oceania, Tropical Western Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, Northern and Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea. (Found in Sydney) |
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Habitat |
Sheltered and moderatley exposed reef (Edgar, 2000). |
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Biological characteristics |
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Maximum size |
12cm Diameter |
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Tripneustes gratilla in the aquarium. |
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Tripneustes gratilla in the aquarium. |
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Tripneustes gratilla in the aquarium. |
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A Tripneustes gratilla collected from Shelly Beach, Manly in the aquarium. |
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Close-up of Tripneustes gratilla in the aquarium. |
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Under side of Tripneustes gratilla in the aquarium. |
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The work of Tripneustes gratilla on sandstone rocks in the aquarium. |
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Captive care |
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Feeding |
Eats various types of algae off rocks and glass. |
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References |
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Edgar G.J. 2000. Australian Marine Life: The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters. New Holand, Sydney. 528pp. |
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Links |
http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/marlife/inverts/echinoid.htm |
http://www.subaqua.ch/rot039e.htm |
http://www.fa.gov.tw/tfb10/e/f5/a93a.htm |
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