List of echinoderms of the Houtman Abrolhos

Echinothrix calamaris (double spined urchin)
Clypeaster reticulatus (cake urchin)
Echinocardium cordatum
Echinometra mathaei
Holothuria leucospilota

The marine waters of the Houtman Abrolhos, an island chain off the coast of Western Australia, has been recorded as containing 172 species of echinoderm in ?? genera. This extremely high diversity has been attributed to a combination of factors, namely: the position of the Houtman Abrolhos within a biotone between temperate and tropical waters; the wide variety of habitats; and the Leeuwin Current, which both transports tropical species southwards, and keeps the reef warm enough for them to survive.[1] This is a list of echinoderms of the Houtman Abrolhos:

Crinoidea

Asteroidea

Ophiuroidea

Echinoidea

Holothuroidea

Notes

Published surveys have not included observations of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Ananthaster planci), and this species is therefore not listed above. However, individuals have occasionally been observed at the Houtman Abrolhos.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Marsh, L. M. (1994). "Echinoderms of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia and their relationship to the Leeuwin Current". In David, B.; Guille, A.; Feral, J.-P.; Roux, M. (eds). Echinoderms through time. Rotterdam: Balkema. pp. 55–61.
  2. ↑ "Towards an assessment of the natural and human use impacts on the marine environment of the Abrolhos Islands, Volume 1: Summary of existing information and current levels of human use" (PDF). Fisheries Research Report No 134. Department of Fisheries, Government of Western Australia. 2002. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
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