| Spatangus | |
|---|---|
| Spatangus purpureus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Superorder: | Atelostomata |
| Order: | Spatangoida |
| Family: | Spatangidae |
| Genus: | Spatangus Gray, 1825 |
| Type species | |
| Spatangus purpureus (O.F. Müller, 1776) |
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| Species | |
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See text. |
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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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]