Spatangus Gray 1825

Spatangus is a genus of heart urchins in the Spatangidae family.^[1] The genus is synonymous with the previously recognised genera Prospatangus Lambert, 1902 and Spatagus.^[1] There are nine recognised species. The type species is Spatangus purpureus Müller, 1776 by subsequent designation (Rowe & Gates, 1995).^[1]

Spatangus comprises marine heart urchins that feed on subsurface deposits and graze.^[1]

Fossil of heart urchins of this genus have been found in the sediments of Europe, United States, Egypt and Australia from Cretaceous to Pliocene (age range: 85.8 to 2.588 Ma).^[2]

Fossil of Spatangus species

Species

Species within this genus include:^[1][2]

• Spatangus altus Mortensen, 1907
• Spatangus baixadoleitensis Maury, 1934a †
• Spatangus beryl Fell, 1963
• Spatangus brissus
• Spatangus californicus H.L. Clark, 1917
• Spatangus capensis Döderlein, 1905
• Spatangus diomedeae Fell, 1963
• Spatangus glenni Cooke, 1959 †
• Spatangus inermis Mortensen, 1913
• Spatangus luetkeni A. Agassiz, 1872
• Spatangus lutkeni A. Agassiz, 1872
• Spatangus mathesoni McKnight, 1968
• Spatangus multispinus Mortensen, 1925
• Spatangus pallidus H.L. Clark, 1908
• Spatangus paucituberculatus A. Agassiz & H.L. Clark, 1907
• Spatangus purpureus (O.F. Müller, 1776)
• Spatangus raschi Lovén, 1869
• Spatangus savignyi Fourtau
• Spatangus subinermis Pomel, 1887
• Spatangus tapinus Schenck, 1928 †
• Spatangus thor Fell, 1963

References

• "Spatangus". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
• J. E. Gray. 1825. An attempt to divide the Echinida, or Sea Eggs, into natural families. Annals of Philosophy, new series 10:423-431