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Habitats and Characteristics of the Sea Urchins Lytechinus variegatus and
Arbacia punctulata (Echinodermata)
on the Florida Gulf‐Coast Shelf
Author(s) -
Hill Sophie K.,
Lawrence John M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0485.2003.03775.x
Subject(s) - lytechinus variegatus , sea urchin , biology , benthic zone , habitat , ecology , oceanography , thalassia testudinum , cobble , fishery , seagrass , geology
Lytechinus variegatus and Arbacia punctulata have been studied primarily in inshore, shallow‐water areas. However, they are abundant in deeper waters on the Florida gulf‐coast shelf and seem important components of the benthic communities there. Lytechinus variegatus occurs alone on sand bottoms and A. punctulata occurs alone on rubble bottoms in these deeper waters. The species also co‐occur there on heterogeneous bottoms, each in a distinct microhabitat with A. punctulata on rubble and L. variegatus on surrounding sand. Characteristics of the sea urchins in these different deeper‐water habitat types and at one nearshore site with a heterogeneous rubble‐sand bottom were compared. Over the 2‐year study, offshore individuals of both species had low gut and gonad indices and the maximum size of individuals did not change. This suggests food limitation and low production. Offshore, A. punctulata had a higher Aristotle's lantern index and lower gut and gonad indices in populations where it co‐occurred with L. variegatus compared to populations where it occurred alone. The Aristotle's lantern index of L. variegatus did not differ among the offshore sites. Neither species seemed food limited at the nearshore site. Although productivity is lower at the offshore sites, both species extend their distribution and reproduction potential by existing there.