A very neat collection of shells nestled in a fire urchin
This urchin is being eaten alive by a murex shell
Lionfish and Spiky Things
Sea Urchins are members of the Echinoderm (spiky-skinned) family, as are sea stars and sea cucumbers. Sea urchins have tube feet to help it to move, with the aid of the spines underneath its body. They move quite fast too. Another interesting thing about sea urchins is that its mouth, or more specifically, its jaw apparatus, is known as 'Aristotle's Lantern'. Another classic example of a romantic name for a very unromantic-looking creature (eg Harlequin Sweetlips).
A very neat collection of shells nestled in a fire urchin |
This urchin is being eaten alive by a murex shell |
Urchins carried by crabs |
Astropyga Radiata |
| I don't like urchins. But the Dorripe Crab does! Probably one of the funniest sights I've seen is the sea urchin carried by a scurrying Dorripe (porter) Crab who peers up at you with his little round eyes as if daring you to do anything. | When we saw the Astropyga Radiata - and there were at least four of them in a cluster - moving around at very high speed, during a night dive, I couldn't decide if it was comical or scary. Maybe a bit of both, like watching the villain in a horror-comedy movie. |
Banded Sea Urchin |
Others |
