Taxonomy:

Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766)

Kingdom: Animalia 

Phylum: Chordata 

Subphylum: Vertebrata 

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines                

Family: Cheloniidae 

Genus: Eretmochelys 

Species: Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill sea turtle)

Subspecies: Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Pacific Hawksbill sea turtle

Subspecies: Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) -- Atlantic Hawksbill sea turtle

A Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) pulling up big chunks of hard coral and eating the sponges off the bottom. The hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while Eretmochelys imbricata bissa is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Author:

Alex Rose

References:

Wikipedia

Red List Standards & Petitions Subcommittee (1996). Eretmochelys imbricata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006.

Eretmochelys imbricata (TSN 173836). Integrated Taxonomic Information System, ITIS