Common name: West Indian Sea Egg

General information

The West Indian Sea Egg, scientifically known as Meoma ventricosa, is a species of heart urchin from the family Spatangoida. Unlike their spiny relatives, heart urchins are burrowers, with a more flattened and globular shape that aids in their subterranean lifestyle. The West Indian Sea Egg is particularly noted for its red-colored tests (shells) and distinctive heart shape, which is where the common name 'heart urchin' originates.

Care

In the aquarium, Meoma ventricosa requires a sand bed of sufficient depth to allow for its natural burrowing behavior. The substrate should be fine to medium in grain size to prevent injury to the urchin. They are detritivores, feeding on organic matter within the sand, which helps to keep the substrate clean and aerated. It's important to ensure that the aquarium is well-established with a stable microfauna population to provide a continuous food source.

Reproduction

Heart urchins, like many echinoderms, reproduce by releasing gametes into the water column in a process known as broadcast spawning. In the aquarium, spawning is rare but can be induced with the right conditions and mature individuals. The larvae are planktonic and go through several developmental stages before settling to the bottom and metamorphosing into their adult form.

Symbiosis

While Meoma ventricosa does not have the same level of symbiotic relationships as some other marine invertebrates, it plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by bioturbating the substrate. This activity helps to redistribute nutrients and oxygenate the sand bed, which can benefit other tank inhabitants.

Habitat

The West Indian Sea Egg is found in the tropical Western Atlantic, from the Carolinas to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. They inhabit sandy bottoms, often in seagrass beds, from shallow waters to depths of around 50 meters.