Loxechinus
| Loxechinus | |
|---|---|
| Two Loxechinus albus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Order: | Camarodonta |
| Family: | Parechinidae |
| Genus: | Loxechinus Desor, 1856 |
| Species: | L. albus |
| Binomial name | |
| Loxechinus albus Molina, 1782 | |
Loxechinus albus is an echinoderm of the family Parechinidae, native to coastal southern South America, ranging from Ecuador, along the entire coasts of Peru and Chile, to Argentina, as well as the Falkland Islands. It is the only species in the genus Loxechinus. It is known as the Chilean sea urchin or red sea urchin, but the latter name is typically used for the North Pacific Mesocentrotus franciscanus and it is not the only species of sea urchin in Chile (although it is the most common and widespread large sea urchins in that country). L. albus is found on rocky reefs and shores in the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 340 m (1,120 ft).