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Echinaster callosus Marenzeller, 1895
| Family Name: | Echinasteridae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Echinoderm) |
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | Found locally on the reef slope and nearby sea bed but extremely rare here. |
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| Habitats | Marine |
| Distribution | Recorded only at Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau within the Southern Islands group. |
| Nature Areas | Pulau Hantu, Pulau Semakau |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | Extreme rarity may lead to local extinction if collected by SCUBA divers. The locations where this species has been recorded are used for open water dive training. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | This is a recently discovered addition to Singapore's echinoderm diversity. Dorsal callosities tend to be single, unlike the fused transverse callosities of other west Pacific forms and this may signify a separate sub-species. |
| Conservation Notes | This species will probably not survive in Singapore waters unless its habitat is given some form of Marine Protected Area status. |
Status
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Endangered (EN) [2008] |
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Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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