Polyechinus agulhensis (Döderlein, 1905)

Fig. 44 A–C.

Paracentrotus agulhensis: Döderlein, 1906: 207 –210. Pl. XXVII, Figs 1–4. Pl. XXXV, Fig. 17. Pl. XLVII, Fig. 1. Paracentrotus agulhensis: Döderlein, 1910: 248; H.L. Clark, 1923: 388; H.L. Clark, 1924: 9; H.L. Clark, 1925a: 132. Paracentrotus grandis: H.L. Clark, 1923: 388 –390. Pl. XXII: H.L. Clark, 1924: 9.

Polyechinus agulhensis: Mortensen, 1943: 118 –123. Pl. XVII, Figs 4–5. Pl. XXI, Figs 1–8. Pl. LVII, Figs 16, 21–28; Clark & Courtman-Stock, 1976: 238; Schultz, 2011: 1263, Figs 2247–2248.

Material examined. MBC-A 022252; MBC-A 022238; MBC-A 022239; MBC-A 022258; MBC-A 022259; MBC- A 022707; MBC-A077840; MBC-A077841.

Identification. Test from globular to low hemispherical. Primary spines stout but brittle. Denuded test and spines white.

Global maximum size. Maximum test diameter 80 mm.

Global distribution. Endemic to West and South coast regions of South Africa, at 200–1080 m (Döderlein 1910; Mortensen 1943; Schultz 2011).

Remarks. Distinguished from Echinus gilchristi by number of pore-pairs per plate, where P. agulhensis commonly has four, rarely three or five, and E. gilchristi has three.