Gracilechinus is a genus of sea urchins in the family Echinidae.
The species in this genus are regular sea urchins, with a rounded test, bearing the anus at the top and the mouth at the bottom. They are extremely similar to species in the genus Echinus, but are differentiated by a primary tubercle on every interambulacral plate.[1]
Most species in this genus are abyssal, and live in the North Atlantic or close cold seas.
Species in this genus include:[2]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Gracilechinus acutus (Lamarck, 1816) | Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic) | |
| Gracilechinus affinis (Mortensen, 1903) | center Atlantic | |
| Gracilechinus alexandri (Döderlein & Koren, 1883) | Northern Atlantic | |
| Gracilechinus atlanticus (Mortensen, 1903) | Atlantic | |
| Gracilechinus elegans (Düben & Koren, 1844) | North-east Atlantic | |
| Gracilechinus gracilis (Agassiz, 1869) | Caribbean | |
| Gracilechinus lucidus (Döderlein, 1885) | North-west Pacific | |
| Gracilechinus stenoporus (Mortensen, 1942) | South Africa | |