Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Echinoidea

Slate Pencil Urchin Eucidaris spp.

Although sea urchins differ greatly in size, shape, and texture, they all have spines. These spines are formidable defensive weapons and some are even poisonous. Nevertheless, urchins are preyed upon by fish, crabs, snails, and sea otters. People eat them as well. Since the days of ancient Greece and Rome, sea urchins have been served as a Mediterranean delicacy. Today they are commonly eaten in Japan as sushi. Urchins, themselves, feed mostly on algae. They live in solid or rocky environments such as coral reefs, rock pools, and deep ocean floors.

~A Swim through the Sea © 1994