description Aeropsis fulva Overview
Aeropsis fulva is a species of sea urchin in the family Aeropsidae and the order Spatangoida. The Ocean Biodiversity Information System lists its common name as the tawny heart sea urchin and places it within the genus Aeropsis. It is a taxonomic entry for a heart-urchin species, so the name is most useful to marine-biological databases, researchers, and readers studying echinoid classification.
help Aeropsis fulva FAQ
What is a heart urchin like Aeropsis fulva?
Heart urchins belong to the order Spatangoida, a group of irregular sea urchins with an elongated, heart-shaped test that burrow into sand and sediment rather than clambering over rocks like their spikier relatives. The Ocean Biodiversity Information System lists Aeropsis fulva's common name as the tawny heart sea urchin.
Where is Aeropsis fulva found?
It's documented through occurrence records in OBIS and related biodiversity databases, as spatangoid heart urchins generally live infaunally in soft marine sediments, often at depth. For specific collection localities, the OBIS and WoRMS entries are the authoritative references.
Is the tawny heart sea urchin related to the urchins people eat?
It's in the same phylum, Echinodermata, as the edible species harvested for their roe, but heart urchins are sediment-burrowers with relatively little gonad material and no commercial fishery. It sits in the small family Aeropsidae, distinct from the edible Strongylocentrotus-type urchins.
What does the species name 'fulva' mean?
'Fulva' is Latin for tawny or yellowish-brown, which matches the common name tawny heart sea urchin applied to it in biodiversity databases. The genus name Aeropsis places it among a small group of heart urchins within the Spatangoida.
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