• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.524-533
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• 2019

Sea urchins are hugely destructive of marine forest ecosystems. This study aimed to determine the behavioral response of purple sea Urchins Heliocodaris crassispina to food and an electrical stimulus and to investigate the attraction radius of these stimuli, with an eye to the development of technology for controlling sea urchin numbers. Ten purple sea urchins, housed in circular acrylic tank, were tested against various attractant stimuli. In addition, an experiment was conducted with 200 purple sea urchins in a large water tank to observe movement patterns and the attractiveness of various stimuli. In the smaller experiment, eight out of 10 sea urchins were attracted to food, and these attractive effects were maintained in all except one of the affected urchins. However, the attractant effects of the electrical stimulus were maintained in only three sea urchins. The results of the larger experiment indicated that differences in the attractant power of food and an electrical stimulus were 54%-78%, and approximately 5-15% of sea urchins were attracted by the electrical stimulus.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.401-419
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• 1998

The structure of benthic algal flora and feeding behavior of sea urchins (Anthocidaris crassispina and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus), were investigated from the eight different locations along the coast of Cheju Island, Korea. Biomass distribution and dominance of the algal communities were studied in relation to the gut contents and population parameters of the sea urchins. As a result, although the largest algal biomass and biological characteristics of sea urchins, such as test diameter, test hight, body weight, gonad weight, etc. This inhdicated that sea urchins would not be dependednt sorely on the abundance of algal foods, and they might feed on other food items. In order to know such a trend with regard to food selectivity, the diets consumed by sea urchins were analyzed, and it was found that they were composed of benthic and drifted algae, various animal components (sponges, bryozoans, crustaceans, and various unidentified capsulated eggs, etc.) and biets turned out to be smaller than might be expected, and it is postulated that sea urchins were not likely to be the major grazing animals for the formation of algal bed and also canopy deterioration, so-called "white incrustation."

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.6-10
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• 1998

This study was attempted to carry out the effects of heavy metals when sea urchins (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, Anthocidaris crassispina, Scahhechinus brevis) formed early embryos. Results of the experiment for the effects of heavy metals on the development of sea urchins, in most sea urchins, the ranking of heavy metals according to decreasing effects upon fertilization and development of urchin eggs was follows: Hg, Cu, Zn, CA, Ni, Cr, Pb, As,and Fe. In addition, in most heavy metals, the ranking of experimental animals according to decreasing effects upon fertilization and development of urchin eggs in the same concentration of heaw metals was follows: H. pulcherrimus, A. crassispina, and S. brevis.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2021

The sea urchin, Mesocentrotus nudus, is widely distributed in North West Pacific regions. It has a substantial impact on macroalgal communities as a generalist herbivore. This study examined various aspects of its feeding ecology, including algal preference, foraging behaviors, and possible effects of past feeding history on its algal preference. We used six common algal species (Ulva australis, Undaria pinnatifida, Sargassum confusum, Dictyopteris divaricata, Grateloupia elliptica, and Grateloupia angusta) from the east coast of Korea as food choice in a series of indoor aquarium experiments. The first choice of starved M. nudus was exclusively U. pinnatifida, followed by G. elliptica and S. confusum. Unlike large urchins, small urchins equally preferred U. pinnatifida and G. elliptica. On the other hand, Undaria-fed urchins preferred to feed only G. elliptica, although its preference slightly differed over time. We then grouped sea urchins into three categories (starved, Undaria-fed, mixed species-fed) to observe 12-days feeding preference as well as early foraging movements. Foraging behaviors of the three groups were distinctively different, although they could not completely reflect the actual consumption. For example, U. australis was highly attractive, but rarely eaten. Undaria-fed urchins seemed to stay with only S. confusum and U. australis. This study demonstrates that M. nudus shows high flexibility in food preference depending on past feeding history and body size. Its foraging behaviors are also affected by past feeding conditions, exhibiting active chemoreceptive movements.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.140-149
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• 2010

We determined the seasonal gonad maturation in Strongylocentrotus nudus sea urchins inhabiting an artificially enhanced seaweed forest along the Samchuk Coast of Korea from April 2006 to March 2007. A total of 30 sea urchins per month were collected from the study area, and gonadosomatic index (GSI), gonad index (GI), egg diameter, and RNA/DNA variation were measured for each specimen. GSI values of female and male urchins achieved maximums of 17.6 and 17.0, respectively, in June. Based on histological studies, maximum GI values occurred in July (4.6 for females and 4.8 for males). A mean ovarian egg diameter of $73.7\;\pm\;14.2\;{\mu}m$ was measured in August; during the main spawning period in September, mean egg diameter reached a maximum of $74.2\;\pm\;17.8\;{\mu}m$. The RNA/DNA ratio and RNA content for both males and females showed a distinct peak during the ripe stage in July, but another peak occurred in the spring season from March to April, when urchins deposit protein into the nutritive phagocytes of immature gonads prior to gametogenesis. The reproductive cycle of S. nudus is divided into five stages: early active (December-May), late active (March-July), ripe (July-September), spent and degenerative (August-November), and inactive (October-February). Our continuous removal of sea urchins from the study area did not influence the reproductive cycle, as populations quickly recovered, and achieved normal gonad development cycle in the site.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.312-315
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• 2013

Sea urchins were collected from waters adjacent to Daludo Island and Mohang harbor in the Yellow Sea, and were identified into Glyptocidaris crenularis A. Agassiz, 1864, of the family Stomopneustidae within the order Stomopneustoida, based on morphological characteristics. This species has two unique morphological characteristics: the ambulacral plate is composed of three primary plates and two demi-plates, and a valve of globiferous pedicellaria consists of with a well-developed long terminal hook and a unique stalk equipped with one to six long lateral processes covering membranes, resembling fins. It is newly recorded in Korea and is described with photographs. This brings the total number of sea urchins reported from the Yellow Sea, Korea, to seven.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.158-158
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• 2003

Bioassays using gametes of sea urchins are widely used in ecotoxicological assessments of marine environments. Since most of sea urchin species in Korean coastal water spawn from spring to autumn, bioassay with them during the winter is impossible. In the course of developing standard methods for bioassays with Korean species, we found a winter-spawning starfish, Asterias amurensis, Since reproductive mode of asteroids is similar to echinoids, the bioassay protocol for sea urchins could be applied similarly to the starfish. Here, we tested and determined several conditions for the acceptability of bioassay with A. amurensis. The least required time for formation of fertilization membrane of fertilized eggs to be easily distinguished from unfertilized ones was 60 min. The threshold of sperm to egg ratio that could make acceptable fertilization rates in controls was 3000. The allowed time for manipulation of sperm after dilution in seawater was at most 3 hr. The optimal exposure time of sperms when the response against toxicant solution was relatively stable was in the range of 20-60 min. The tolerance range of sperms to the salinity of test solution was 26-38 psu. The sensitivity of A. amurensis sperm was intermediate among marine organisms commonly used in aquatic toxicity tests. The sperm bioassay with A. amurensis can be satisfactorily applied to toxicity assessments of marine environments.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.104-107
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of pH, using gametes, embryos and early development system of three sea urchins species, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, Anthocidaris crassispina and Scaphechinus brevis. As the result of performing effects of pH on early embryo development, the conditions of appropriate pH on formation of normal pluteus were pH 7.0-8.0 for H. pulcherrimus, A. crassispina and S. brevis. Otherwise, the conditions of pH 5.0, pH 6.0, pH 9.0 and pH 10.0 damaged the development of early embryos of each testing animal moderately or strongly.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.133-140
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• 2007

In 2006, we studied herbivore consumption rate and preference for algal species using laboratory experiments. In the no-choice feeding experiment, three herbivores (two sea urchins, Stronglyocentrotus nudus and Stronglyocentrotus intermedius and an abalone, Haliotis discus hannai) showed significantly (P<0.05) distinct preferences for four algae (Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, Costaria costata and Ecklonia stolonifera). The alga preferred by S. nudus was L. japonica followed by U. pinnatifida, C. costata and E. stolonifera with respective daily feeding rates of $5.7{\pm}:0.85\;g,\;4.4{\pm}0.89\;g,\;3.1{\pm}0.39\;g\;and\;2.1{\pm}0.32\;g(mean{\pm}SE)$. A similar trend was found for S. intermedius. Interestingly, the herbivore consumption rates for the algae differed with or without competition. The competition stimulated the feeding activity for S. nudus, but lowered the activity for S. intermedius. The multi-choice feeding experiment confirmed that L. japonica was significantly preferred by two herbivores: S. nudus and H. discus hannai (Duncan's multiple range test, ANOVA, p<0.05).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.211-218
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• 2007

Even though some standard developmental bioassay protocols for environmental assessment using sea urchins have already been described, there have not been many attempts to apply and modify these protocols with Korean species. Therefore, there is a strong need to establish standard bioassay protocols using sea urchins commonly found in Korea. Prior to developing a new protocol, it is essential to know the optimal conditions for the bioassay procedures. We investigated the optimal conditions (temperature, salinity, and embryo density) of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. The ideal temperature for developmental bioassay of S. intermedius was determined to be $15^{\circ}C$ and the time required for the embryo to become pluteus larva was 72 hr. The optimal range of salinity for the embryo toxicity using S. intermedius was between 30 to 32 psu, which is similar to the range found in the natural habitats of adult populations. The optimum density of embryos at the beginning of bioassays was 100 embryos/mL. When the assays were carried out at higher densities, the proportion of normally developed larvae decreased significantly.