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Abatus shackletoni

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description Abatus shackletoni Overview

Abatus shackletoni is a species of irregular sea urchin in the family Schizasteridae, named for the Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Like other members of its family, it is a brooding heart urchin: females retain embryos in depressions among the spines rather than releasing larvae into the plankton. The species is endemic to the waters of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

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What kind of animal is Abatus shackletoni?

Abatus shackletoni is an Antarctic irregular sea urchin in the family Schizasteridae. It belongs to the genus Abatus, whose members are often called brooding heart urchins. [World Echinoidea Database](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abatus_shackletoni)

Why is Abatus shackletoni named after Ernest Shackleton?

The species name honors Ernest Shackleton, the Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer. Shackleton led the Nimrod Expedition from 1907 to 1909 and is one of the best-known figures in Antarctic exploration. [Abatus shackletoni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abatus_shackletoni)

How does Abatus shackletoni reproduce?

Females retain developing embryos and juveniles in brood pouches among the spines instead of releasing all offspring into the open water. Reports describe brood pouches capable of holding up to 38 embryos or juveniles. [Abatus shackletoni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abatus_shackletoni)

How is Abatus shackletoni different from a regular sea urchin?

It has an irregular heart-urchin body adapted to life on or beneath the seafloor, rather than the roughly spherical shape of a familiar regular urchin. Its brooding behavior is also unusual because the female protects young in specialized pouches. [ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0300962986902598)

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