Microcyphus dhofarensis
New Species
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Description
I consider this species new to science, although it has been illustrated often in publication from the Red Sea. It is cited as Tripneustes gratilla or Tripneustes gratilla eilatentis. The species is however very different in shape, size and spines distribution from Tripneustes. Given the fine structure of the skeleton, it likely belong to a different family (Temnopleuridae) vs Toxopneustidae for T. gratilla.
The skeleton is clearly pentagonal with 5 distinct ambulacra ornated with white tipped, reddish spines. The interabulacra are covered with an abundance of turf like shorter and relatively flexible spines, cream in color. The aboral part of the urchins has orange primary spines both in the ambulacra and interambulacra.
This species will be officially described and type specimen deposited in museums in Oman and elsewhere.
On Dhofar, Microcyphus dhofarensis is among the most common species of urchin and co-occur with T. gratilla. It was observed from Salalah to the Halleniyat Islands.
The skeleton is clearly pentagonal with 5 distinct ambulacra ornated with white tipped, reddish spines. The interabulacra are covered with an abundance of turf like shorter and relatively flexible spines, cream in color. The aboral part of the urchins has orange primary spines both in the ambulacra and interambulacra.
This species will be officially described and type specimen deposited in museums in Oman and elsewhere.
On Dhofar, Microcyphus dhofarensis is among the most common species of urchin and co-occur with T. gratilla. It was observed from Salalah to the Halleniyat Islands.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Distribution
In Oman, this species was observed often in the mixed algae-coral communities of Dhofar. Worldwide, It seems to be found at least in the southern Red Sea, near the Faradan Islands, where it is also found in the sea-weed coral communities.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Ecology and Biology
The urchins likely feeds on algae and sea weeds. This species seem to perform "covering behavior" and seems to be using preferably seagrass or seaweed, although many specimen were observed without any "covering" items.