Heart urchin

Loveniidae
	Echinocardium cordatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Echinoidea
Order:	Spatangoida
Family:	Loveniidae; Lambert 1905

Heart urchins are burrowing echinoids. This life-style is similar to that of sand dollars, but the heart urchins belong to another group. Heart urchins belong to the Family Loveniidae in the Order Spatangoida.^[1]^[2]

Echinocardium is the standard British heart urchin on sandy shores. Its spicules are converted to soft form, and they have sticky tube-feet which pass food to their gut. They can burrow up to five times their own height, and still keep connection with the surface for oxygenated water and food.^[1]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Nichols D. 1962. Echinoderms. Hutchinson, London. p76 ISBN 0-09-065994-5
↑ Nichols D. 1959. Mode of life of recent and fossil Spatangoida. Syst. Assoc. Publ. 3, 61-80.

Pelagic early pluteus larva of *Echinocardium cordatum*

*Spatangus purpureus*: Heart urchin, from the Belgian continental shelf.

[Nichols-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Nichols D. 1962. Echinoderms. Hutchinson, London. p76 ISBN 0-09-065994-5

[2] Nichols D. 1959. Mode of life of recent and fossil Spatangoida. Syst. Assoc. Publ. 3, 61-80.

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