description Clypeaster euclastus Overview
Clypeaster euclastus is a marine echinoid, or sea urchin, in the family Clypeasteridae and genus Clypeaster. Members of this genus are commonly called sea biscuits or cake urchins because of their flattened, disk-like tests, although the species is identified taxonomically by its scientific name rather than by a unique widely used common name. Hubert Lyman Clark described Clypeaster euclastus in 1941; records place it in tropical benthic marine environments.
help Clypeaster euclastus FAQ
What kind of animal is Clypeaster euclastus?
Clypeaster euclastus is a marine echinoid, or sea urchin, in the family Clypeasteridae. It belongs to the genus Clypeaster, whose members are commonly called sea biscuits or cake urchins.
Why are Clypeaster species called sea biscuits?
Their tests, the hard internal shells left after death, are flattened and disk-shaped. That shape resembles a biscuit or small cake rather than the rounded form associated with many other sea urchins.
Is Clypeaster euclastus a living shell or a fossil species?
The name identifies a sea-urchin species through its hard test and taxonomic features, and specimens may be encountered as fossil or preserved tests. A complete test is not the living animal itself because the soft tissues are gone.
What family does Clypeaster euclastus belong to?
It belongs to the family Clypeasteridae and the genus Clypeaster. Those taxonomic groups include flattened echinoids adapted to life on sandy marine bottoms.
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