description Fibularia volva Overview
Fibularia volva is a small irregular sea urchin in the clypeasteroid group, the lineage that includes sand dollars and related flattened forms. Its rounded, bean-like test is adapted to life within or on unconsolidated marine sediment, and the animal is associated with shallow coastal environments in the Indo-Pacific. It is chiefly of interest to marine invertebrate specialists who study small burrowing echinoids and the diversity of clypeasteroids.
help Fibularia volva FAQ
What is the current accepted name for Fibularia volva?
Marine taxonomic databases currently treat Fibularia volva as accepted under the name Fibulariella volva. The older Fibularia name still appears in catalogs and literature, which is why both names can show up in searches.
What does Fibularia volva look like?
It is a tiny irregular echinoid with an elongated, bean-like or pea-like test that tapers toward both ends. Species in the former Fibularia grouping generally have tests under 10 millimeters long.
Where does Fibulariella volva live?
Records associate it with warm marine environments, including sandy bottoms and seagrass beds in parts of the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific. A Red Sea study reported specimens from seagrass roots and canopies, where the tiny test can be easy to overlook.
Is Fibularia volva a regular spiny sea urchin?
No. It is an irregular echinoid in the sand-dollar family Fibulariidae, not a large regular urchin such as Echinothrix diadema. Its small burrowing body and reduced external spines reflect a different lifestyle in sediment and seagrass habitats.
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