Echinoids

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Abstract
Although all echinoids are marine, some species invade lagoons or estuaries where the salinity of the water presumably is not quite so high as that of the open sea. The areal distribution is controlled to a large extent by the temperature of the water. Hence, warm-water species are restricted to tropical or subtropical regions, but cold-water species extend their ranges by descending to greater depths, where they find favorable temperatures even in the tropics. In general, flat echinoids such as the Scutellidae inhabit shallow water, where they crawl along the bottom partly buried in the sand or ooze. Many spherical species with long spines are reef-dwellers, and some of them occupy crevices in the rock, in which they become sealed. They shape the hole to fit by friction of their spines or by their teeth. Other regular echinoids live in deep water. Echinoids dislike mud, which presumably clogs their water systems. They are most abundant in clean water with either a sandy or limy bottom. The papers listed herein comprise most of those published subsequent to 1929 in which some mention is made of the habits or habitat of living echinoids. A few earlier titles are included, but no systematic search of the literature previous to 1930 was made. Many general and passing references to echinoids are to be found in faunistic and ecological surveys, and more detailed references to their boring habits are to be found in papers on marine borers (q.v.). Agassiz, A. Revision of the echini: Harvard...

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