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Diadema setosum, Porcupine sea urchin

Common name (e.g. turtle)

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Diadema setosum   (Leske, 1778)

Porcupine sea urchin

Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Diadema setosum  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Diadema setosum (Porcupine sea urchin)
Diadema setosum

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Echinoidea | Diadematoida | Diadematidae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 70 m (Ref. 81020).  Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Indo-Pacific: from Red Sea to South Pacific Islands and Japan. Introduced in the Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm

Short description Morphology

Body is covered with long spines, with many shorter spines in between. Spines are black or dark purple, with the long ones often black-and-white banded, or white in color. Five bright white or blue spots are present on the test. The anal cone has a distinctive bright orange ring.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Common in the sublittoral fringe around protected rocky coastlines (Ref. 102838). Found on muddy substrate (Ref. 2931). Occurs in assemblages in reef areas with high percentage of dead corals (Ref. 800). Common on Porites-dominated coral reefs; less common on Acropora assemblage (Ref. 102838). Feeds on algae (Also Ref. 128613) that grows on dead corals or rubble area (Ref. 800). Dwells in rocky and sandy substrates at depths of 1-70m. Also inhabits coral reefs and sea grass meadows. Hides in rocky crevices particularly when under intense light. Recorded from subsurface water temperatures of 16.9-30.8°C, oxygen concentration of 7.5 mg/L, and salinities of 36.4-38.7 per mille (Ref. 128613). Associated with coral communities. Dwells on soft substrates. Grazes on encrusting algae over hard substrates at night. Bioeroder. Keeps algal growth in check (Ref. 129602).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Members of the class Echinoidea are gonochoric. Fertilization is external. Brooding is common, eggs are held either on the peristome, around the periproct or deep into the concavities on the petaloids. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (echinoplateus) and live for several months before they sink to the bottom using their tube feet to adhere on the ground where they metamorphose into young urchins.

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Schoppe, S. 2000. (Ref. 800)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous (Ref. 129602)

Human uses


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References

Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.2 - 29, mean 27.8 (based on 1154 cells).
Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

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