Spatangus is a genus of heart urchins in the Spatangidae family.Hansson, H. (2009). Spatangus Gray, 1825. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species on 2 August 2010 The genus is synonymous with the previously recognised genera Prospatangus Lambert, 1902 and Spatagus. There are nine recognised species. The type species is Spatangus purpureus Müller, 1776 by subsequent designation (Rowe & Gates, 1995).
Spatangus comprises marine heart urchins that feed on subsurface deposits and graze.
Fossil of heart urchins of this genus have been found in the sediments of Europe, United States, Egypt and Australia from Cretaceous to Pliocene (age range: 85.8 to 2.588 Ma).
Species Species within this genus include:Fossilworks Spatangus altus Mortensen, 1907 Spatangus baixadoleitensis Maury, 1934a † Spatangus beryl Fell, 1963 Spatangus brissus Spatangus californicus H.L. Clark, 1917 Spatangus capensis Döderlein, 1905 Spatangus diomedeae Fell, 1963 Spatangus glenni Cooke, 1959 † Spatangus inermis Mortensen, 1913 Spatangus luetkeni A. Agassiz, 1872 Spatangus lutkeni A. Agassiz, 1872 Spatangus mathesoni McKnight, 1968 Spatangus multispinus Mortensen, 1925 Spatangus pallidus H.L. Clark, 1908 Spatangus paucituberculatus A. Agassiz & H.L. Clark, 1907 Spatangus purpureus (O.F. Müller, 1776) Spatangus raschi Lovén, 1869 Spatangus savignyi Fourtau Spatangus subinermis Pomel, 1887 Spatangus tapinus Schenck, 1928 † Spatangus thor Fell, 1963
References
J. E. Gray. 1825. An attempt to divide the Echinida, or Sea Eggs, into natural families. Annals of Philosophy, new series 10:423-431