New record of the irregular sea urchin Rhynobrissus cuneus (Echinoidea: Brissidae)

Abstract

Rhynobrissus cuneus is a rare sea urchin species from the northern Atlantic Ocean. This echinoid was firstdescribed from 2 specimens collected in North Carolina, USA in 1956, and no other specimens have been reportedsince. We describe the external morphology of 7 specimens of R. cuneus collected in the state of Veracruz, Mexicoin the southern Gulf of Mexico. This record extends the southern range of this species and provides further data onits habitat and bathymetric distribution. The species may eventually prove to have a wide but patchy distribution.