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Phylum
Echinodermata
Class Echinoidea
Sea
Urchins
For more information about sea urchins visit
Dr.
Dafni's research page.
HAWAII
Heterocentrotus
mammillatus
Blowhole, Oahu, Hawaii, 10 feet
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Blowhole, Oahu, Hawaii, 25 feet |
Palea Point, Oahu, Hawaii, 25 feet
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Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 35 feet |
Sea Cave, Oahu, 45 feet |
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SLATE PENCIL URCHIN
| Locally abundant in shallow water.
Spine shape and color varies throughout the islands. Night coloration is pale brown with lighter bands.
Overall diameter is 10 inches. |
Actinocidaris thomasi
Pitt Stop, Midway Atoll, 50
feet
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Sharks Cove, Oahu, 30 feet |
Sea Cave, Oahu, 50 feet |
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THOMAS' URCHIN
| Rarely found in caverns at scuba depths.
Spines are finely granulated. Overall diameter of 6 inches. |
Prionocidaris hawaiiensis
Molokini Back Wall, Maui,
60 feet
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Sea Cave, Oahu, 75 feet |
Sea Cave, Oahu, 75 feet |
Sea Cave, Oahu, 75 feet
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Sea Cave, Oahu, 75 feet |
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ROUGH-SPINED URCHIN
| Uncommon at scuba depths.
More common among Finger Corals on Hawaii. Spines have large curved spines.
Overall diameter of 10 inches. |
Eucidaris metularia
Okoe Bay, Hawaii, 50 feet
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Haleiwa Trench, Oahu, 50 feet |
Atlantis Reef, Oahu, 95 feet |
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TEN-LINED URCHIN
| Abundant under
rocks at scuba depths. Overall diameter of 1.5 inches. |
Astropyga radiata
Kihei, Maui
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Kihei, Maui |
Juvenile, Auau Crater, Hawaii, 180 feet |
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BLUE-SPOTTED URCHIN
| Rarely found at scuba depths.
Has tiny neon blue spots on test. To at least 4 inches. |
Colobocentrotus atratus
Puako, Hawaii
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Makapu'u, Oahu, Hawaii |
Makapu'u, Oahu, Hawaii
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Makapu'u, Oahu, Hawaii |
Lanai Lookout, Oahu
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Makapu'u, Oahu, 1 foot |
Makapu'u, Oahu, 1 foot |
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SHINGLE
or HELMET URCHIN HA'UKE'UKE
| Abundant intertidally on surf-swept cliffs.
Diameter is 3 inches. |
Tripneustes gratilla
Puako, Hawaii, 30 feet
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Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 4 feet |
Sharks Cove, Oahu, 40 feet
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Sharks Cove, Oahu, 40 feet |
Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 25 feet
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Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 35 feet |
Sea Cave, Oahu, 60 feet |
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COLLECTOR URCHIN
| Common in shallow water.
Spines range from white to black; test is dark and
inflated. |
Pseudoboletia indiana
Punalu'u, Hawaii, 8 feet
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Punalu'u, Hawaii, 8 feet |
Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 50 feet
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Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 50 feet |
Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 50 feet
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Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 50 feet |
Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 50 feet
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Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 45 feet |
PEBBLE-COLLECTOR URCHIN
| Uncommon partially buried in gravel.
Spines range from white to purple; test is white and
compressed. About 5 inches. |
Cyrtechinus
verruculatus
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
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WARTY SAND URCHIN
| A tiny species found under rocks but often overlooked. Less than
1 inch. |
Diadema paucispinum
Molokini Back Wall, Maui,
60 feet
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Kailua Pier, Kona, Hawaii,
8 feet |
Ka'ohe, Kona , Hawaii, 10
feet
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Juvenile, Sea Tiger, Oahu, 85 feet |
Molokini, 75 feet |
Molokini, 75 feet |
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LONG-SPINED URCHIN
Diadema sp.
Midway Harbor, 10 feet
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Midway Harbor, 10 feet |
Midway Harbor, 10 feet |
Midway Harbor, 10 feet |
RED
LONG-SPINED URCHIN
| One of two red diadematids from Midway lagoon.
Has short, thin venomous spines protected by large primary
spines. |
Echinothrix calamaris
Blowhole, Oahu, 25 feet
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Palea Point, Oahu, 40 feet |
Sharks Cove, Oahu, 25 feet
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Blowhole, Oahu, 20 feet |
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Juvenile, Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 25 feet |
Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 30 feet |
Kewalo, Oahu, 40 feet
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Kewalo, Oahu, 40 feet |
Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet |
BANDED URCHIN
| Common in shallow water to
at least 60 feet.
Overall diameter is 8 inches. Has thinner venomous spines protected by large primary
spines. Black occasionally banded with white. Hawaii & the
Indo-Pacific. |
Echinothrix diadema
Kahe Point, Oahu, 15 feet
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Kaiwi Point, Hawaii, 4 feet |
Juvenile, Kaunolu Bay tidepool, Lana'i
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Kahe Point, Oahu, 15 feet |
Spawning, Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Spawning, Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 3 feet
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Spawning, Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 3 feet |
Juvenile, Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Juvenile, Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Sea Cave, Oahu, 35 feet |
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BLUE-BLACK
URCHIN
| Common in shallow water
exposed to wave action. Overall diameter is 8 inches. Black
with blue iridescence, juveniles banded with blue. Has thinner venomous spines protected by large primary
spines. Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific. |
Leptodiadema purpureum
Shark's Cove, Oahu, Hawaii, 25 feet |
Moku Manu, Oahu, Hawaii, 40 feet |
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FINE-SPINED URCHIN
| Rare in deep caves. Test is less than 1 inch in diameter.
Spines are glasslike. Moves rapidly away from light. |
Echinometra mathaei
Keahole Point, Hawaii, 2 feet
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Makai Pier, Oahu, Hawaii, 8 feet |
Borings in basalt, Makapu'u, Oahu, Hawaii
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Kaunolu Point tidepool, Lana'i, Hawaii
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Haleiwa Trench, Oahu, 5 feet
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Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 3 feet |
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Juvenile, Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
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PALE ROCK-BORING URCHIN
| Abundant at all depths.
Ranges from pink to olive; never black. Spines are strong and sharp.
Overall diameter is 3 inches. |
Echinometra oblonga
Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet
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With parasitic Vexilla snail, Makapu'u, Oahu |
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
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BLACK ROCK-BORING URCHIN
| Common in shallow water.
Always black. Spines are strong but not sharp. Overall diameter is 3 inches. |
Echinostrephus aciculatus
Kaena Point, Oahu, 50 feet
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Keoki's Ledge, Midway
Atoll, 30 feet |
Kahe Point, Oahu, 25 feet |
Waimea Bay, Oahu, 30 feet
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NEEDLE-SPINED URCHIN
| Abundant at scuba depths.
Ranges from purple to black. Spines are thin and sharp. Overall diameter is 3 inches. |
Brissus
latecarinatus
Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet
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Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet |
Kewalo Hump, Oahu, 90 feet
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Kewalo Hump, Oahu, 90 feet |
Puu Kala Point, Kona, Hawaii, 60 feet
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HEART
URCHIN
| Uncommon buried
deep in sand at any depth. Reaches at least
8 inches. |
Echinocyamus
sp.
Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii |
Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii |
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MINIATURE HEART
URCHIN
| Empty tests are
common in sand while live animals are difficult to find. Several species
in Hawaii. About 3/8 inch. |
Clypeaster
reticulatus
Sea Tiger, Oahu, 120 feet |
Sea Tiger, Oahu, 120 feet |
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RETICULATED SEA
BISCUIT or CAKE URCHIN
| Empty tests are occasionally
found, live animals emerge from sand at night to feed. About 1 inch.
Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Toxopneustes pileolus
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Yawatano, Izu, Japan |
Yawatano, Izu, Japan
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FLOWER URCHIN
| Locally common on rubble and sand at scuba depths. Cup-like
pedicellariae deliver a powerful sting that can be fatal. About 5
inches. Indo-West Pacific. |
Asthenostoma ijimai
MAGNIFICENT SEA URCHIN
TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC
URCHIN
NORTHEAST PACIFIC
Strongylocentrotus
droebachiensis
Ogden Point, Victoria, Canada, 5 feet |
Ogden Point, Victoria, Canada, 5 feet |
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GREEN SEA URCHIN
| Common on rocks or sand at
any depth. About 4 inches. Circumpolar distribution, south
to Japan and Washington. |
Strongylocentrotus
franciscanus
Rock Quarry, Catalina, California, 25 feet
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RED SEA
URCHIN
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Common in
crevices at any depth. About 10 inches. Red to black.
Primary species harvested for roe. Japan to Alaska and outer Baja
California.
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Strongylocentrotus
purpuratus
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Rock Quarry, Catalina, California, 5 feet |
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PURPLE SEA
URCHIN
| Common under rocks and in
crevices in shallow water. About 3.5 inches. Alaska to Outer
Baja California. |
Centrostephanus
coronatus
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Rock Quarry, Catalina, California, 25 feet |
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CROWNED SEA
URCHIN
| Very common on rocks and in
crevices. Spines about 7 inches. Southern California &
Tropical Eastern Pacific.. |
Lytechinus
anamesus
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Emerald Bay, Catalina, California, 25 feet |
Emerald Bay, Catalina, California, 25 feet
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WHITE SEA
URCHIN
| Common on sand and rubble at
any depth. About 3 inches. Southern California to Baja
California. |
CARIBBEAN
Meoma
ventricosa 
Paradise Cove, Grand Bahama Island, 4 feet |
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SEA BISCUIT
| Common on sand flats and grass beds in shallow water. About 8
inches. |
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