Pseudoboletia indiana explained

Pseudoboletia indiana, commonly known as the pebble collector urchin, is a species of echinoderms belonging to the family Taxopneustidae. In Hawaii P. indiana is also known as hawa`e po`ohina.[1]

Description

Pseudoboletia indiana has a white round body with short spikes, variously colored white, pink, purple, or green at the ends.[2] Pseudoboletia indiana is on average around in diameter.

Distribution

The pebble collector urchin can be found in Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and Madagascar.[3]

Habitat

Pseudoboletia indiana lives on the ocean floor, at up to in depth. The urchin uses debris from the ocean, such as pebbles, broken pieces or coral, seaweed, to cover itself. The urchin also provides protection to other smaller marine life like the miner’s urchin shrimp (Gnathophylloides mineri).[4] During the night, the urchin will abandon the pebbles and coral it uses as camouflage and will roam around.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pebble Collector Urchin . 2024-04-14 . hbs.bishopmuseum.org.
  2. Zigler . Kirk S . Byrne . Maria . Raff . Elizabeth C . Lessios . H. A. . Raff . Rudolf A. . 2012-04-10 . Natural hybridization in the sea urchin genus Pseudoboletia between species without apparent barriers to gamete recognition . Evolution . 66 . 6 . 1695–1708 . 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01609.x . 22671540 . 0014-3820.
  3. Web site: Pseudoboletia indiana . 2024-04-14 . www.sealifebase.se.
  4. Web site: Pebble-collector Urchin, Pseudoboletia indiana . 2024-04-14 . www.marinelifephotography.com.
  5. Book: Hoover, John . Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates . 1998 . Mutual Pub. . 9781566472203.