Abstract
The edible sea urchin Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) is a very common species on the sublittoral-midlittoral in Brazilian rocky shores. The aim of this work was to describe the gametogenesis and reproductive strategy of the E. lucunter population at Muro Alto beach in the Northeast coast of Brazil from August 2004 to August 2005. A total of 240 specimens were collected on the sandstone reef flat from a tidepool during spring low tides. The overall sex ratio was1.12:1,withoutsignificanttemporalvariationexceptinOctober2004. Firsts sexual maturity ocurred in individuals from a diameter of 20.8 mm. There was not a significant difference in gonad index between females and males during the sampling period. The female's gonad index variation was associated with a well-defined spawning, corroborated by the histological analysis of the gonads, which demonstrates sex differences of the gamete production. By contrast, the males showed no clear pattern. It is suggested that continuous reproduction with seasonal peaks in the E. lucunter population occurs at Muro Alto beach.
Highlights
Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) is a rock-boring species that feeds on algae and encrusting animals, and can be found in coastal waters up to 45 m deep (Tommasi 1966), often inhabiting burrows scraped with its spines and teeth on rocky substrata (Hendler et al 1995)
Based on previous authors (Tavares and Borzone 2006), five stages were used to characterize the process of gametogenesis in E. lucunter: Proliferative stage: gonad tubes were filled with nutritive phagocytes, and small numbers of primary sex cells were present along the tube wall
There was an equal sex ratio and no significant differences between male and female gonad indices
Summary
Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) is a rock-boring species that feeds on algae and encrusting animals, and can be found in coastal waters up to 45 m deep (Tommasi 1966), often inhabiting burrows scraped with its spines and teeth on rocky substrata (Hendler et al 1995). Its geographical distribution extends south from North Carolina (USA) and the Bermudas to Santa Catarina (Brazil), including the Caribbean and West Central America, and throughout East Africa (Bernasconi 1955, Tommasi 1966, Brito 1968, Hendler et al 1995). It is the regular echinoid most commonly found on the coral reef formations in Pernambuco State (Brazil), and. The information about gametogenic characteristics of the E. lucunter is incomplete regarding Brazilian populations
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