Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Echinometra vanbrunti A. Agassiz, 1863

erizo morado, Purple sea urchin

Depth: intertidal to 53 m, in semi-protected high-energy beaches.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Echinodermata

Class
Echinoidea

Order
Camarodonta

Superfamily
Odontophora

Family
Echinometridae

Genus
Echinometra

Species
vanbrunti

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Echinometra macrostoma (Lütken, 1864) (subjective junior synonym) Echinometra rupicola A. Agassiz, 1863 (subjective junior synonym) Echinometra van brunti A. Agassiz, 1863 (incorrect subsequent spelling) Echinometra van-brunti A. Agassiz, 1863 (incorrect subsequent spelling) Ellipsechinus macrostomus Lütken, 1864 (subjective junior synonym) Heliocidaris stenopora H.L. Clark, 1912 (subjective junior synonym) Toxocidaris stenopora (H.L. Clark, 1912) (subjective junior synonym), fide Horton et al. (2021)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Mexico, Monterrey, California, Peru, Revillagigedos, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Malpelo, Peru, Cocos Islands and Ecuador including Galápagos Islands

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
  • Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (1998) A Field Guide to Sea Stars and other Echinoderms of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 83 pp.
  • Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
  • Maluf, L.Y. (1991) Echinoderm Fauna of the Galápagos Islands. In: James, M.J. (ed.): Galápagos Marine Invertebrates. Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. Plenum Press, New York and London, p. 345-367.
  • Sonnenholzner, J. Brand, M., Francisco, V., Hearn, A., Luzuriaga, M., Guarderas, P & Navarro, J. (2013) Echinoderms of Ecuador. In: Alvarado, J & Solís-Marín, A. (eds.) (2013) Echinoderm research and Diversity in Latin America. 183-233 pp.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Echinometra vanbrunti", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7988. Accessed 31 October 2026.