Sea Urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. There are c. 950 species of echinoids inhabiting all oceans from the intertidal to 5000 meters deep. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) across. Common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, and red. They move slowly, feeding mostly on algae. Sea otters, wolf eels, triggerfish, and other predators feed on them. Their "roe" (actually the gonads) is a delicacy in many cuisines.
The name "urchin" is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs that sea urchins resemble.
Read more about Sea Urchin: Taxonomy, Anatomy, Life History, Ecology, Evolutionary History
Famous quotes containing the words sea and/or urchin:
“People can no more be judged by their looks than the sea can be measured in bushels.”
—Chinese proverb.
“Nutmeg, civet, and sea-parsley serve the plagued groom and bride
Who have brought forth the urchin grief.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)