Species ID
OC-SP-0002266
Discovered
Phylum
Echinodermata
Species ID
OC-SP-0002266
Provisional Species Name
Stereocidaris sp_COM2_511
Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS
Stereocidaris
Lowest Known Rank
Genus
Status
Discovered
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Embargo
No
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Echinodermata
Class
Echinoidea
Order
Cidaroida
Family
Cidaridae
Genus
Stereocidaris
Taxonomic Remarks
The Comorian Stereocidaris sp. is a cidaroid (pencil urchin) belonging to the family Cidaridae. No confirmed species records of Stereocidaris exist from the Comoros Islands to date, although a cidarid tentatively identified as Stereocidaris has been photographed in situ off Grande Comore at approximately 300 m depth. The present specimen also does not correspond to other cidarid taxa (Cidaroida fam. indet. sp. 1 and Cidaroida fam. indet. sp. 2) reported from the Maldives and Seychelles during previous Nekton expeditions. According to WoRMS, Stereocidaris indica has been recorded from the broader region; however, the Comoros specimen differs from S. indica in several diagnostic characters. The apical system is strongly domed, with large, tessellated genital plates forming a conspicuously inflated (“soccer-ball” shaped) structure and with genital pores weakly expressed, whereas S. indica possesses a smaller, flatter apical system with clearly distinct genital pores. In addition, the scrobicular rings of the Comoros specimen are markedly expanded, bearing numerous, strongly imbricate scrobicular spines that form a dense overlapping series around the primary tubercles; this condition is less developed in S. indica.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
05/03/2026
Specimens
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