Urchin likes to climb on my corals

urchinsmurchin

urchinsmurchin

New Member
So I have 3 of these guys that hitchhiked in on my live rock. I have no clue what type of urchin they are and it worries me that they like to walk on my corals. They don't seem to harm the corals however the coral does close up for a bit then reopen once the urchin has moved on. To be honest I have grown kind of fond of the little guy that likes to walk on the corals the most so I am really hoping you guys tell me he is harmless.

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reef dummy

reef dummy

Member
50/50 with most urchins. My long spine started eating sps so out he went. But I did like him when he was behaving. Urchins are an essential part of the ecosystem in a natural reef environment.
 
fivel

fivel

Member
I have a pencil urchin that likes rolling across my zoas. Sometimes I swear he does it on purpose just to annoy them, heh. I've never seen him do anything mischievous though and he's been in there for well over a year. I would be more nervous with an urchin that had sharper spines as they would be stabbing stuff as it rolled over them as opposed to the more blunt spines of a pencil urchin
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
That looks like the Purple Sea Urchin Arbacia punctulata or at least a Arbacia sp. It is mostly a herb but also eats, spongs and corals.
 
Jess

Jess

Member
I'm gonna have to say it's definitely a Pencil Urchin.

Purple urchin:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/11/images/061109-urchin-genome_big.jpg

Pencil urchin:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/pgallery/pghawaii/living/redpensilurchin_300.jpg

I have two of these (also hitchhikers that I spotted as teeny tiny babies, and are huge now) and they look exactly like urchins' urchin (lol). The spines do look a little more pointy than the usual pencil, but looks closer than the purple urchin. Just my $.02! I'm thinking I might have to move these from my 24 to my 55...they are seriously growing at a rapid rate.
 
urchinsmurchin

urchinsmurchin

New Member
Cool, Now as long as he doesn't hurt my corals he can stay in the tank. I deffinately know what you mean about them growing in size. When we discovered this little guy he was smaller than a dime. We went away for 2 weeks on vacation come home and he is larger than a quarter and has 2 buddies the same size. No clue where they were hiding. BTW I love the red one in the picture you posted. Wonder if I can trade one of mine for a red one lol.
 
B

BobBursek

Active Member
Wow, Boomer, I am impressed!!!!! A bit off of your site!!!LOL Made an order from Jim and talked to him on Monday, you guys doing a road trip together? Lots of rain up there, we are dry as can be, good to use the RO.DI waste for the garden though.
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Not off at all Bob. I ID stuff all the time, it is a specialty of mine, look around here. Most here know that. I get called for ID all the time :)

Jess, you need to look at al those pic and not pick and choose. And that image you posted is a miss ID. I have books on ID urchins. Go back an look at my edit. Also do a spine count.

Here it is again

Purple - Google Images

And

Marine Biological Laboratory
 
Jess

Jess

Member
That second link doesn't really say it's a purple though? No worries, maybe since they're so young they don't look quite the same as an adult.

I have books at home too. I guess I need to study up!
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Jess a good book on Echino's is

Echinoderms of Florida and the Caribbran :Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Allies by Hnedler and Miller.
 
B

BobBursek

Active Member
Boomer, never noticed that about you, but I do not check out the ID forum to much since it is not something I can contribute to and need since my tank is so criter stable, I do not need to ask either. So I learned more about you, like I said I am impressed!!!
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
:lol: Ok Ok, Jess. Just me having fun in my dumb-ash way :)

Take note of your link, the left pic. See that structue in the middle, it is called the Madreporite (ash-hole), which really stands out in the Arbacia and has a white ring aorund it. Now go look at urchinsmurchin pics. See how much it stands out in his, 2,3 and 4 pics
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Ah, Jess now I see why you were calling the other urchin a Pencil Urchin. What you have is not a true Pencil Urchin but a "fake" one. What you have is a Echinometra viridis or Echinometra mathaei ]. They in the family Echinoetridae. True Pencil's are in the family Cidaridae, which have shorter and blunt spines, were in some they are some what flat. Yours can be easily ID by looking at the base of the spines, where these species are famous for the white milled rings at the base of the spine. These are often called "White Ring Urchins". I do not know what one you have exactly only to tell you the viridis is Atlantic and the mathaei is Pacific.


Echinometra viridis

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Echinometra mathaei
 
Jess

Jess

Member
Hey thanks Boomey, and all I know is I love my little hitchhikers and whatever they are......they're super cool!!!:alien:
 
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