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Species Fact Sheets

Loxechinus albus (Molina, 1782)

Loxechinus albus: (click for more)

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FAO Names

En - Chilean sea urchin, Fr - Oursin chilien, Sp - Erizo blanco.

3Alpha Code: UCH Taxonomic Code: 6930401701

Scientific Name with Original Description
Echinus albus Molina, 1782. Saggio sulla Storia Naturale de Cili.

Diagnostic Features

Six-eleven ambulacral plates, geminated, each one with a primary tubercle. Dicyclic apical system. Numerous large periproctal plates. Central anus. Primary spines short in adults, conical: secondary spines very numerous. Pedicelaries globiferous with a neck between stem and head, with large valves, variable number of lateral teeth, one-four per side. Hemispherical test, greenish, occasionally with red ambulacres and interambulacres (large specimens from deep waters can be white, partially or completely).

Geographical Distribution

From Ecuador (6° S) to Magellan Region, Isla de los Estados (55 ° S).

Habitat and Biology

Littoral, intertidal and subtidal pools. Up to 340 m in depth (Larrain 1975). This species feeds both at day and night mostly on drifting algal pieces captured with the aboral pedia. Small specimens (<3 cm) consume significantly more benthic than floating algae pieces (Contreras & Castilla, 1987)
Timing and duration of spawning period is variable among adjacent areas and along the Chilean coast. Spawning period occurs later in the year as latitude increases: June (23° S), November-December in Chiloé, 45° S (Zamora & Stotz 1992). An exception are populations inhabiting the Magellan Region ( 53° S) since their spawning period lasts from July to September (Oyarzún et al. 1999).

Size
Up to more than 100 mm of testa diameter.

Interest to Fisheries

Global Capture production for
Loxechinus albus
(FAO Fishery Statistic)

45.560 T and 44.843 T were landed in Chilean harbours in 1997 and 1998, respectively (Sernapesca 1998, Sernapesca 1999).
Edible species in Chile and Perú. The specimens reach commercial size after 8 years.

The industrial catches for canned gonads has caused the extinction of many local populations.

Related Fishing Techniques

Bibliography

Contreras, S. & Castilla, J.C. - 1987. Feeding behavior and morphological adaptations in two sympatric sea urchin species in central Chile. Marine Ecology Progress Series. . 38:217-224..

Larrain, A. - 1975. Los equinoideos regulares fósiles y recientes de Chile. Gayana (Zool.) . 35: 1-189..

Oyarzún, S.T., S.L. Marín, C. Valladares & J.L. iriarte - 1999. Reproductive cycle of Loxechinus albus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in two areas of the Magellan Region (53ºS, 70-72ºW), Chile. Scientia Marina. . 63 (Suppl. 1): 439-449..

Sernapesca - 1998. Anuario Estadístico de Pesca 1997 Servicio Nacional de Pesca. Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Reconstrucción de Chile, Valparaíso

Zamora, S. & W. Stotz - 1993. Ciclo reproductivo de Loxechinus albus (Molina, 1782) (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) en Punta lagunillas, IV Región, Coquimbo, Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural. . 65: 121-133..

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