''Tripneustes'' is a genus of

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...

s belonging to the family

Toxopneustidae Toxopneustidae is a family of globular sea urchins in the class Echinoidea. Characteristics All Camarodonts have imperforate tubercles and compound ambulacral plates. In addition, the Toxopneustids are characterised by the peristome, or opening ...

Species

The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * ''

Tripneustes antiquus ''Tripneustes'' is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae. Species The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * '' Tripneustes antiquus'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * ''Tripneu ...

'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * ''

Tripneustes californicus ''Tripneustes'' is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae. Species The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * '' Tripneustes antiquus'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * '' Tripne ...

'' Kew, 1920 * ''

Tripneustes gahardensis ''Tripneustes'' is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae. Species The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * '' Tripneustes antiquus'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * '' Tripne ...

'' (Seunes) * ''

Tripneustes magnificus ''Tripneustes'' is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae. Species The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * '' Tripneustes antiquus'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * '' Tripne ...

'' Nisiyama, 1966 * '' Tripneustes parkinsoni'' (

Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he rec ...

, 1847) * '' Tripneustes pregratilla'' McNamara and Kendrick 1994 * ''

Tripneustes proavia ''Tripneustes'' is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae. Species The genus contains four extant species: This genus contains many extinct species, such as: * ''Tripneustes antiquus'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * ''Tripneus ...

'' Duncan & Sladen, 1855 * '' Tripneustes schneideri'' Boehm * '' Tripneustes tobleri'' Jeannet, 1928a Natural History Museum
/ref>Paleobiology Database
/ref>

Distribution

These sea urchins have been recorded as fossils from

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

to Recent (from 15.97 to 0.0 Ma). Fossils have been found in the sediments of Southern Europe, Mediterranean and North Africa, Caribbean, Western coast of America and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Gallery

Image:Collector urchin.jpg, ''

Tripneustes gratilla ''Tripneustes gratilla'', the collector urchin, is a species of sea urchin. Collector urchins are found at depths of in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, Hawaii, the Red Sea, and The Bahamas. They can reach in size. Description Collector urchin ...

'' Image:West Indian sea egg Tripneustes ventricosus (4654425141).jpg, ''

Tripneustes ventricosus ''Tripneustes ventricosus'', commonly called the West Indian sea egg or white sea urchin, is a species of sea urchin. It is common in the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas and Florida and may be found at depths of less than . Description The test of th ...

'' Image:Tripneustes depressus.jpg, '' Tripneustes depressus'' Image:Tripneustes parkinsoni Burdigalien Apt (84).jpg, Fossile de '' Tripneustes parkinsoni'' (

Burdigalian The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age (geology), age or stage (stratigraphy), stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 annum, Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). Preceded by the Aquitanian (sta ...

, MHNT). Image:Seagrass Grahams Harbour.jpg, Several ''Tripneustes'' in seagrass, Grahams Harbour,

San Salvador Island San Salvador Island (known as Watling's Island from the 1680s until 1925) is an island and district of The Bahamas. It is widely believed that during Christopher Columbus's first expedition to the New World, this island was the first land he s ...

, Bahamas

References

Toxopneustidae Echinoidea genera Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by Louis Agassiz {{echinoidea-stub