SOLITARY ISLANDS
UNDERWATER
RESEARCH GROUP, INC.

Species Index

Heliocidaris tuberculata
(Lamarck, 1816)

Common Name: Tuberculate Urchin

Distribution: Common throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. On the east coast of Australia from Caloundra, Queensland to Eden, New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island, Kermadec Island and New Zealand.

Ecological Notes: Frequents exposed reef from 0 to 10 m where large numbers are found in hollows just below low tide level.

Additional Notes: Orange red spines are blunt ended and oval cross section. Similar to H. erythrogramma but distinguished by the orange red colouration. The most common sea urchin on shallow reefs at Lord Howe Island. Test size to 115 mm diameter, spines to 40 mm in length.

References: Graham J. Edgar. Australian Marine Life, 2nd Edition, 2008. Reed New Holland Publishers. p.420.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Heliocidaris+tuberculata. Accessed 10/10/2018.