"Echinocardium Cordatum" .
Views of the Underside and Topside of a Dead Sea Potato , with it's spines still attached ,
the head end is at the bottom of the photos.
Also known as the 'Heart Urchin' due to its distinctive shape.
This medium-sized burrowing sea-urchin is densely covered in fine spines
yellow-brown in colour, giving it a hairy appearance.
The Sea Potato lives buried in up to 15cm of muddy and sandy sediments
from the shore to 200 metres deep.
The familiar, spine-less, pale brown 'test' (shell) of the dead animal is often washed up on
the shore resembles a potato, hence the common name.
The sea potato burrows in the sand. Special spoon-shaped spines on the urchin’s underside
help it to dig, while longer spines on its back allow water to funnel down into its burrow to
be used for respiration.
Ref: 10380.1
Date: 09/07/2012
Location: Monkstone Beach
