Cidaroids, clypeasteroids, and spatangoids: Procurement, culture, and basic methods

Abstract This chapter describes practical methods and key points for using non-camarodont echinoids including cidaroids (Order Cidaroida), clypeasteroids (also known as sand dollars; Order Clypeasteroida), and spatangoids (also known as heart urchins; Order Spatangoida) as experimental subjects for biological studies. The content described here is based on six Japanese species of echinoids ( Astriclypeus manni , Clypeaster japonicus, Echinocardium cordatum, Peronella japonica, Prionocidaris baculosa, and Scaphechinus mirabilis ). Specific topics addressed in this chapter include the collection and maintenance of adults, embryonic culture, and experimental procedures for micromanipulations, whole mount in situ hybridization, and immunological experiments.