Pincushion Urchin - Group of 2

Lytechinus sp.


(1 Reviews)

Pincushion Urchin - Group of 2

Pincushion Urchin - Group of 2

Lytechinus sp.


(1 Reviews)

Free Shipping

With $199.00 or more in Marine Life.
More details...

Care Facts

Care Level: Moderate
Tempermant: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Reef Safe: Yes
Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallon
Max Size: 4 Inches

The Pincushion Urchin (Lytechinus sp.) is a small Urchin that can be found among the Atlantic Ocean. Their colors can range from a beige/off-white to a green or purple. They reach a maximum size of 3-4 inches and feed on a variety of detritus, as well as algae. They are typically stationary during the day, but will come out around twilight to scavenge for food. Aristotle once wrote of the five parts of the Urchin's mouth:  "In reality the mouth-apparatus of the urchin is continuous from one end to the other, but to outward appearance it is not so, but looks like a horn lantern with the panes of horn left out."  This holds true today, as the mouth of the urchin is referred to as "Aristotle's Lantern".  The mouth of the Urchin is used to scrape algae from rockwork.  The spines of the urchin are a defense mechanism that are barbed like that of a fish hook and can inflict serious pain to the predator.  These spines can either come to a sharp point or can be stubby and blunt. Some fish will lay eggs among urchins, relying on the spines to keep them safe from predators. 

Received in good shape. Drip acclimated them for an hour. They do a great job eating algae off my live rock. Quite entertaining to watch as they try and put shells on themselves. One of mine put 2 live bumble bee snails on there back and small crab. It was funny to see the crab trying to get loose. I had to rescue the snails and crab :-)


Reviewed by: Ruben on April 24, 2013

Join the club! Get our best deals first!

Be The First To Hear About Our Exclusive Deals & Latest Updates!