| Spatangus Temporal range:   | |
|---|---|
![]()  | |
| Spatangus purpureus | |
| Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Echinodermata | 
| Class: | Echinoidea | 
| Order: | Spatangoida | 
| Family: | Spatangidae | 
| Genus: | Spatangus Gray, 1825  | 
| Type species | |
| Spatangus purpureus (O.F. Müller, 1776)  | |
| Species | |
| 
 See text  | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
  | |
Spatangus is a genus of heart urchins in the Spatangidae family.[1] The genus is synonymous with the previously recognised genera Prospatangus Lambert, 1902 and Spatagus.[1] There are nine recognised species. The type species is Spatangus purpureus Müller, 1776 by subsequent designation (Rowe & Gates, 1995).[1]
Spatangus comprises marine heart urchins that feed on subsurface deposits and graze.[1]
Fossil of heart urchins of this genus have been found in the sediments of Europe, United States, Egypt and Australia from Cretaceous to Pliocene (age range: 85.8 to 2.588 Ma).[2]

Fossil of Spatangus species
Species
Species within this genus include:[1][2]
- Spatangus altus Mortensen, 1907
 - Spatangus baixadoleitensis Maury, 1934a †
 - Spatangus beryl Fell, 1963
 - Spatangus brissus
 - Spatangus californicus H.L. Clark, 1917
 - Spatangus capensis Döderlein, 1905
 - Spatangus diomedeae Fell, 1963
 - Spatangus glenni Cooke, 1959 †
 - Spatangus inermis Mortensen, 1913
 - Spatangus luetkeni A. Agassiz, 1872
 - Spatangus lutkeni A. Agassiz, 1872
 - Spatangus mathesoni McKnight, 1968
 - Spatangus multispinus Mortensen, 1925
 - Spatangus pallidus H.L. Clark, 1908
 - Spatangus paucituberculatus A. Agassiz & H.L. Clark, 1907
 - Spatangus purpureus (O.F. Müller, 1776)
 - Spatangus raschi Lovén, 1869
 - Spatangus savignyi Fourtau
 - Spatangus subinermis Pomel, 1887
 - Spatangus tapinus Schenck, 1928 †
 - Spatangus thor Fell, 1963
 
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hansson, H. (2009). Spatangus Gray, 1825. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species on 2 August 2010
 - 1 2 Fossilworks
 
- "Spatangus". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
 - J. E. Gray. 1825. An attempt to divide the Echinida, or Sea Eggs, into natural families. Annals of Philosophy, new series 10:423-431
 
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