Locality matters: Variation in the reproductive cycle and population structure of subtropical sea urchins.

ABSTRACT: The life cycle of many Echinoidea species remains poorly understood despite research conducted in temperate and tropical-subtropical regions. Common species in the Central-Eastern Atlantic's shallow waters include Paracentrotus lividus, Arbacia lixula, and Sphaerechinus granularis. Nevertheless, significant gaps in understanding their life cycles persist. This study discusses the reproductive cycles of three sea urchin species in rocky coastal ecosystems around Gran Canaria Island (Spain) (27º45´N, 15º45´W) from June 2020 to May 2021. Morphological measurements reveal that test length increases without a corresponding weight gain. The average size at first maturity (L50) was greater in females (A. lixula 46.26 mm; P. lividus 46.03 mm; S. granularis 49.67 mm SL) than in males (A. lixula 43.

SUBMITTER: Nunez-Gonzalez R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316312 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature