Pourtalesia is a genus of the family Pourtalesiidae which belongs to the irregular (bilaterally symmetrical) sea urchins. The animals measure 5âÂÂ6 cm in length and live in the abyssal zone of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indopacific and Antarctic Oceans where they have been found in more than 3,000 m depth. The mouth opening of these animals is located anteriorly and the lantern of Aristotle is missing as typically for holasteroid sea urchins.
Species
Currently, 11 species of Pourtalesia are recognized.
- Pourtalesia alcocki <small>Koehler, 1914</small>
- Pourtalesia aurorae <small>Koehler, 1926</small>
- Pourtalesia debilis <small>Koehler, 1926</small>
- Pourtalesia heptneri <small>Mironov, 1978</small>
- Pourtalesia hispida <small>A. Agassiz, 1897</small>
- Pourtalesia jeffreysi <small>Thomson, 1873</small>
- Pourtalesia laguncula <small>A. Agassiz, 1879</small>
- Pourtalesia miranda <small>A. Agassiz, 1869</small>
- Pourtalesia tanneri <small>A. Agassiz, 1898</small>
- Pourtalesia thomsoni <small>Mironov, 1976</small>
- Pourtalesia vinogradovae <small>Mironov, 1995</small>
References