Аннотация:Gracilechinus is a widely distributed genus of regular echinoids with a center of species diversity in the north Atlantic (5 of 10 species). Only three species of this genus are known from the Pacific Ocean (G. multidentatus, G. euryporus and G. lucidus). The first two species were previously assigned to the genus Echinus, which differs from Gracilechinus in ambulacral tuberculation. Pacific species possess ambulacral tuberculation, characteristic of the genus Gracilechinus, but differ from each other in structure of the valves of tridentate pedicellariae and primary spines. Assignment of these three species to the genus Gracilechinus is also confirmed by the data of phylogenetic analysis of 650-850 b.p. fragment of COI gene. The COI tree provides an evidence for validity of genera Gracilechinus and Echinus and agrees in general with the morphological data. Among Gracilechinus species studied, there are two lineages, which also differ in ambulacral tuberculation pattern. One of them comprises only of North Atlantic species, another one includes North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Pacific species. The genus Gracilechinus is believed to have originated in North Atlantic and only species of the second lineage have penetrated South Atlantic and then Pacific.