Meoma ventricosa

Meoma ventricosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Subphylum:	Eleutherozoa
Class:	Echinoidea
Order:	Spatangoida
Family:	Brissidae
Genus:	Meoma
Species:	M. ventricosa
Binomial name
Meoma ventricosa Lamarck, 1816
Synonyms
Spatangus ventricosus

Meoma ventricosa, known by the common names sea pussy and red heart urchin, is a large species of sea urchin which lives in shallow waters in the Caribbean. It may reach a diameter of 20 centimeters. It is covered in reddish-brown spines. It has pentagonal radial symmetry, giving it a sand-dollar appearance; however, two of its five sections are merged more closely than the others.

The urchin feeds on nutritive matter in the sand and shell material it picks up from the sea floor as it burrows. Most individuals form a relationship with the small crab Dissodactylus primitivus, which lives on the urchin.

External links

• Species account
• Info page and photos
• M. v. ventricosa photos
• Skeleton photo
• "Meoma ventricosa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=158102. 

References

• Handler, Gordon; Miller, John E.; Pawson, David L.; Kier, Porter M. 1995. Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Allies. Smithsonian Institution. Pages:243-245, 244 Fig.132, 135h