Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)

Comments

Glasgow Museums has a collection of 90 sea urchins (Echinoidea), which date from 1870 to 2013.

This collection includes 60 dried specimens and 30 specimens preserved in spirit. The dried sea urchins come from all over the world and include many tropical examples. Although the majority of these are just tests (hard shells) or skeletons, there are several that still retain spines. The sea urchins in spirit mainly come from British waters, and include several deep-water specimens collected in the 1970s by Dr Dietrich L. Burkel on RRS Challenger. There are also a couple of specimens collected by Alexander Patience in the 1800s.

About sea urchins
Echinoidea (sea urchins and their relatives, including pencil urchins, sand dollars and heart urchins) are a class of echinoderms, which are marine invertebrates. Echinoidea are globular or disc-like, with no arms, and generally with spines all over the body. They live on or buried beneath the seabed. There are over 900 species found worldwide, and they live in all types of marine environment.

Broader term

Echinoderms

Staff Contact

Robyn Haggard

Key Objects

Key Objects