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Aquarium Photos

Black boring sea urchin

Echinometra lucunter

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Fun Facts

These urchins are nocturnal feeders which means they only look for food at night.

Species Type:

Invertebrates

Common Name(s):

Black boring sea urchin

Size:

On average, black boring sea urchins grow to three inches (8 centimeters) in diameter.

Diet:

These urchins eat plant matter like floating algae or seagrasses.

Range & Habitat:

In the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and southern Atlantic Ocean, these urchins inhibit shallow waters, tidal pools, rocks along the beach and other rocky areas in the ocean.

Details:

Black boring sea urchins are less round and more elliptical (oval) shaped. They have anywhere from 100-150 short, thick spines pointing outwards from their center. Like many urchin species, their spines are venomous. These urchins can be black, red, purple or green in color.