Temnopleurus L. Agassiz, 1841

Hegde, Mahabaleshwar R. & Rivonker, Chandrashekher U., 2013, A new record of Temnopleurus decipiens (de Meijere, 1904) (Echinoidea, Temnopleuroida, Temnopleuridae) from Indian waters, Zoosystema 35 (1), pp. 97-111 : 99-100

Genus Temnopleurus L. Agassiz, 1841

DIAGNOSIS. — Test profile hemispherical to subconical, rather thick-shelled with conspicuous crenulations, size often exceeding 40 mm HTD. Ambulacral plating trigeminate, pore-pairs arranged in near-vertical arcs forming a single adradial band; each compound plate comprising a single primary tubercle located closer to the pore zone and smaller perradial tubercles scattered randomly across the plate. Interambulacral plates with a central primary tubercle, smaller secondary and military tubercles scattered randomly over the remainder of the plate. Conspicuous pits and troughs present at the angle of sutures, usually with horizontal extensions; primary tubercles imperforate and distinctly crenulated. Peristome with 10 buccal plates and 10 buccal tube-feet, buccal notches very feeble. Periproct subcircular, usually with eccentric opening and some larger periproctal plates.Genital plates with tubercles forming a ring around the periproct ( Mortensen 1943; Clarke & Rowe 1971; Smith 2005).

REMARKS

Observation of sea urchins collected during the present study revealed two forms of the genus

Temnopleurus that prompted us to look into the systematics of both these forms.A review of published literature ( Leske 1778 ; de Meijere 1904; Mortensen 1943; Clark & Rowe 1971; Smith 2005; Schultz 2006) resulted in the identification of two species Temnopleurus decipiens and T. toreumaticus in Indian waters.