EntdeckenInvertebrate

Variegated Sea Urchin

lytechinus variegatus

The Variegated Sea Urchin is a spiky creature found in the ocean. Its colorful shell can have patterns of purple, green, and blue!

Lebensraum: Shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, often found in coral reefs and rocky areas.

Aussehen

The Variegated Sea Urchin has a round, globe-like body often colored white, green, or even purple. It is covered in numerous short, blunt spines that can vary in hue, making it look speckled. Some individuals might even carry small shells or debris on their top.

ReichAnimaliaStammEchinodermataKlasseEchinoideaOrdnungCamarodontaFamilieToxopneustidaeGattungLytechinus
Variegated Sea Urchin
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Variegated Sea Urchin

Kategorie

Invertebrate

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Each spine is attached to a ball-and-socket joint, allowing it to move in any direction!

Its mouth is on its underside, but its waste comes out of a tiny hole on its top!

They use tiny, clear suction-cup feet to hold onto the seafloor, even upside down!

When it reproduces, it releases millions of tiny eggs and sperm right into the ocean water.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Fähigkeit

Ocean Grazer

Variegated Sea Urchins have a special mouthpart called Aristotle's lantern that helps them scrape algae off surfaces with five sharp teeth.

Fähigkeit

Debris Defender

Variegated Sea Urchins can pick up and hold bits of shell or seagrass that helps them create a physical shield against predators.

Maße und Details

Average Size
7 cm
Average Lifespan
8 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

These spiky grazers nibble on plants and tiny bits of decaying matter found on the seafloor.

Hauptnahrung

  • macroalgae
  • microalgae
  • seagrass
  • detritus

Nahrungssuche

  • Grazing

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Nine-armed sea star

Luidia senegalensis

This sea star hunts and consumes Variegated Sea Urchins.

eaten by

Sharpnose puffer

Canthigaster rostrata

Pufferfish have strong beaks to crack open sea urchin tests.

eats

Turtle grass

Thalassia testudinum

Sea urchins graze on the blades of this common seagrass.

Merkmale

Auch bekannt als

Green Sea UrchinRainbow UrchinTropical Sea Urchin

Sammlungen

Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Do not touch without adult supervision, as their spikes can be sharp.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Was ist der/die/das average Size von Variegated Sea Urchin?

7 cm

Was ist der/die/das average Lifespan von Variegated Sea Urchin?

8 Jahre

Was frisst Variegated Sea Urchin?

These spiky grazers nibble on plants and tiny bits of decaying matter found on the seafloor.

Wo findet man Variegated Sea Urchin normalerweise?

Shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, often found in coral reefs and rocky areas.

Wie jagt Variegated Sea Urchin?

Grazing

Snap-Karte

Zoome hinein, um Cluster aufzulösen und zu sehen, wo dieses Objekt fotografiert wurde.

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Neueste Snaps

Neueste Snaps erscheinen hier, wenn neue Beobachtungen hinzukommen.

Wo zu sehen

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