Keeled Heart Urchin

Brissus latecarinatus

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth1–18 m
Water temperature21–30 °C
Best monthsApril and May
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Philippe Bourjon, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Brissus latecarinatus is a species of sea urchins of the family Brissidae. Its armour is covered with spines. Brissus latecarinatus was first scientifically described in 1778 by Nathanael Gottfried Leske.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Brissus latecarinatus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 14 records
February: 13 records
March: 26 records
April: 41 records
May: 54 records
June: 16 records
July: 21 records
August: 13 records
September: 18 records
October: 15 records
November: 10 records
December: 21 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 1–18 m · Deepest record: 61 m

0–10 m: 55 records
10–20 m: 21 records
20–30 m: 2 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 2 records
60–70 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 21–30 °C

20–22 °C: 1 records
22–24 °C: 2 records
24–26 °C: 28 records
26–28 °C: 24 records
28–30 °C: 88 records

Photos

(c) libby hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) TonyT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Doreen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Keeled Heart Urchin, Ridged Heart Urchin

Names in 3 more languages

Spanish: Erizo corazón
Japanese: ミナミオオブンブク
Simplified Chinese: 脊背壺海膽

Other scientific names: Brissus carinatus, Brissus maculatus, Brissus maculosus, Spatangus (Brissus) latecarinatus, Spatangus (Brissus) maculosus, Spatangus carinatus, Spatangus vulgaris

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
236 open-data records from 1778 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist