Kina (animal)

New Zealand sea urchin
Kina feeding on kelp causing a kina barren near the Noises in the Hauraki Gulf
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoidea
Order: Camarodonta
Family: Echinometridae
Genus: Evechinus
Species:
E. chloroticus
Binomial name
Evechinus chloroticus

Kina (Evechinus chloroticus) is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm.[1]

Kina populations throughout New Zealand have dramatically grown due to the effects of overfishing and climate change, resulting in over-grazing that significantly damages kelp forest ecosystems. Kina are now being actively removed from many ecosystems for marine conservation efforts.[2]

Kina have been a traditional component of Māori diet since pre-European times and has been fished commercially since 1986 in small quantities under the quota management system in restricted areas along the coast of New Zealand.[1][3] Attempts to export E. chloroticus to Asian markets have been unsuccessful, so it may not be an economically attractive species for aquaculture development.[4][5]

Evechinus chloroticus is distributed throughout New Zealand and in some northern and southern offshore islands.[1][6] It is the most common sea urchin species in New Zealand.[7]

  1. ^ a b c F Barker, Michael (2007). "Chapter 16 Ecology of Evechinus chloroticus". Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science. Vol. 37. Elsevier. pp. 319–338. doi:10.1016/S0167-9309(07)80080-9. ISBN 9780444529404. ISSN 0167-9309.
  2. ^ Miller, Kelsey I.; Shears, Nick T. (January 2023). "The efficiency and effectiveness of different sea urchin removal methods for kelp forest restoration". Restoration Ecology. 31 (1). Bibcode:2023ResEc..3113754M. doi:10.1111/rec.13754. hdl:2292/61299. ISSN 1061-2971.
  3. ^ James, Philip J.; Heath, Philip; Unwin, Martin J. (September 2007). "The effects of season, temperature and initial gonad condition on roe enhancement of the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus". Aquaculture. 270 (1–4): 115–131. Bibcode:2007Aquac.270..115J. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2007.03.011. ISSN 0044-8486.
  4. ^ James, Phil. "Enhancing urchin roe value". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  5. ^ James P. 2010. Sea urchins: opportunities and lessons. New Zealand Aquaculture 36 (July/August): 12–13.
  6. ^ Dix, Trevor G. (June 1970). "Biology ofevechinus chloroticus(echinoidea: Echinometridae) from different localities". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 4 (2): 91–116. Bibcode:1970NZJMF...4...91D. doi:10.1080/00288330.1970.9515331. eISSN 1175-8805. ISSN 0028-8330.
  7. ^ Vennell, Robert (5 October 2022). Secrets of the Sea: The Story of New Zealand's Native Sea Creatures. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. pp. 112–117. ISBN 978-1-77554-179-0. LCCN 2021388548. Wikidata Q114871191.