Echinoidea | 
Spatangoida | 
Loveniidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; brackish; depth range 0 - 230 m (Ref. 85345).  Subtropical; 72°N -   41°S, 32°W -   179°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Indo-West Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 6.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 7882)			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Species' maximum size from the North Sea off Belgium (Ref. 7882). Found in sandbanks (Ref. 96352) and along the coastal zone.  Buries in a wide range of sediment types but often in coarser-grained sediment with low mud content of less than 20% (Ref. 7882).  Reported in areas influenced by estuarine outflows (Ref. 96507). Herbivorous epistratum (sub-surface deposit) feeder (Refs. 96352, 96501).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Members of the class Echinoidea are gonochoric.  Fertilization is external.  Brooding is common, eggs are held either on the peristome, around the periproct or deep into the concavities on the petaloids.  Life cycle:  Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (echinoplateus) and live for several months before they sink to the bottom using their tube feet to adhere on the ground where they metamorphose into young urchins.				
			
			
			
			
			
				Gaspar, M.B., M.N. Santos, F. Leitão, L. Chícharo, A. Chícharo and C.C. Monteiro 2003 Recovery of substrates and macro-benthos after fishing trials with a new Portuguese clam dredge. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 83:713-717. (Ref. 2703)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				 | FishSource | 			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  				 
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 7 - 14.4, mean 9.8 (based on 654 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Low vulnerability (10 of 100).					
				
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.