Baby hiker urchin?

saltwaterfarm · 11-20-2006, 10:05 PM

Hi Everyone!
I have just found this critter in my 3 gal picotope. I am assuming it is an urchin but I don't know what kind. If any one can offer any ID, info, etc. it will be appreciated. I would like to know about care, chance of survival, and needs. My pico has very little filtration, movement and light. It currently has some "sexy" shrimp, a whole bunch of mushrooms and ricordea, and sun polyps. It has about 2.5 inches sand and live rock (mostly rubble). I have also noticed some serpent star hikers, and what I think is a baby emerald crab (I did NOT put that in there). Should I move it to my larger tank, or leave it where it is until it gets larger??
This critter is about the size of a pencil eraser... if that helps.
Thanks a bunch...
mini-100_1065.JPG

Cougra · 11-20-2006, 11:21 PM

Where did your live rock come from? Location can help make it easier to ID the Urchin since it's so small and hard to see a lot of the details.

saltwaterfarm · 11-20-2006, 11:39 PM

Some of it came from my larger tank, and some of it came from LFS. It is mostly rubble because of the tank size and hard to determine which type. I think what I have is mostly tonga/fiji. I had just purchased the larger piece of sun polyps about a day or two before it showed up. Maybe that is what it rode in on. The polyps came from a distributor in DC a few weeks ago and have been at the LFS in the coral tank until I purchased it and several unattached ricordea a few days ago (Friday... I think).

BoomerD · 11-21-2006, 01:01 AM

OK, fortunately, Lisa got a GREAT pic of this. She sent it to me, and I did was able to crop this out of the original:

here's a link to the full shot:
http://www.whodah.com/albums/BoomerD/arq.sized.jpg
http://www.whodah.com/albums/BoomerD/arq.jpg (full sized pic)

Certainly LOOKS like one of the mine or pencil urchins, Eucidaris tribuloides. Hopefully, that "other Boomer" will see this and chime in with a correct identification.

saltwaterfarm · 11-22-2006, 10:53 AM

BoomerD- Thanks for the help with the pic! It does resemble the "pencil urchin". It seems like the spines are just around the diameter, and some seem to be a little knobby. I don't know that much about urchins... There are just so many different species. I would like to give it a good home though! So, if anyone can give me info...

corallimorph · 11-22-2006, 11:09 AM

Pencil urchin(Eucidaris tribuloides)

-Dave

Cougra · 11-22-2006, 12:07 PM

While I agree it's a pencil Urchin or the genus Eucidaris. However it's very difficult for acurate species ID because many of the experts themselves don't agree, a lot of the distinguishing characteristics of urchins are only visible through disection and many of the photos on google are inacurately labeled.

Having said that I have to admit that I'm leaning more towards the Eucidaris metularia due to the bald area on top where the Eucidaris tribuloides doesn't seem to have that bald area on top from the pictures I'm finding.

saltwaterfarm · 11-28-2006, 12:35 PM

Ok... now I'm mad! I always check on this urchin (several times a day). I know, I'm obsessed. I think the barnacle (I think that's what it is) he is on in the picture ATE him. He is stuck in the top opening where the "barnacle critter" comes out. I cannot get him out. Is it possible that when the barnacle closed he was caught??? Is there anything I can do to get the barnacle to open up?

corallimorph · 11-28-2006, 01:04 PM

Hey Lisa,
Is your live rock from Atlantic or pacific?
You see ,the slate-pencil urchin(Eucidaris tribuloides) i suggested is from the Atlantic, and the "ten-lined urchin"(Eucidaris metularia) Michelle suggested is from the Pacific,this could be a clue to an accurate I.D.-Dave

p.s. they both have that "bald spot"..especially at that size

saltwaterfarm · 11-29-2006, 02:42 PM

I am reasonably certain my rock is from the Atlantic... But a few of the corals I have recently added were flown in from LAX. So, I would assume that came from the Pacific. Don't guess that helps much, huh?

Also, he is still alive and moving in the tank. The barnacle may have been the victim in this situation.

corallimorph · 11-29-2006, 04:49 PM

If your rock is Atlantic, i would put Money on tribuloides,you see metularia also have ten striations(stripes) along each spine witch become mutated and "blurred" as the animal grows,as a juvenile(the size you have)if it were metularia,would look much more dramatic,(striped)than the urchin in your pic,plus..we can count the number of stripes or markings on you urchin ...and i don't count ten.-Dave

saltwaterfarm · 12-01-2006, 12:15 PM

Thanks! I hope he survives... Pretty neat hiker.

saltwaterfarm · 01-04-2007, 02:32 PM

Just an update for everyone who helped... The urchin is doing well. He must be eating well, he's about the size of a nickel now...
Thanks Again.

fishheads · 01-04-2007, 05:38 PM

either of those urchins,which you are correct on identieyng,the eucidaris gets up to 6 in...heterocentrotus mammillatus 12 in.( both are slate pencil)....they are omnivorous,with tendency toward carnivory....they will eat sessile animals,and catch mobile ones as well...in my opinion not good for a reef...but great for a species tank.....my friend has 1 in his reef and has never had problems

11-20-2006, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Baby hiker urchin? Hi Everyone! I have just found this critter in my 3 gal picotope. I am assuming it is an urchin but I don't know what kind. If any one can offer any ID, info, etc. it will be appreciated. I would like to know about care, chance of survival, and needs. My pico has very little filtration, movement and light. It currently has some "sexy" shrimp, a whole bunch of mushrooms and ricordea, and sun polyps. It has about 2.5 inches sand and live rock (mostly rubble). I have also noticed some serpent star hikers, and what I think is a baby emerald crab (I did NOT put that in there). Should I move it to my larger tank, or leave it where it is until it gets larger?? This critter is about the size of a pencil eraser... if that helps. Thanks a bunch... mini-100_1065.JPG __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

11-20-2006, 11:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cougra Dragon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 2,216 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Where did your live rock come from? Location can help make it easier to ID the Urchin since it's so small and hard to see a lot of the details. __________________ Michelle Just because something CAN be done, it doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done!

11-20-2006, 11:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Some of it came from my larger tank, and some of it came from LFS. It is mostly rubble because of the tank size and hard to determine which type. I think what I have is mostly tonga/fiji. I had just purchased the larger piece of sun polyps about a day or two before it showed up. Maybe that is what it rode in on. The polyps came from a distributor in DC a few weeks ago and have been at the LFS in the coral tank until I purchased it and several unattached ricordea a few days ago (Friday... I think). __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

11-21-2006, 01:01 AM	#4 (permalink)
BoomerD Reef Shark Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 5,637 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? OK, fortunately, Lisa got a GREAT pic of this. She sent it to me, and I did was able to crop this out of the original: here's a link to the full shot: http://www.whodah.com/albums/BoomerD/arq.sized.jpg http://www.whodah.com/albums/BoomerD/arq.jpg (full sized pic) Certainly LOOKS like one of the mine or pencil urchins, Eucidaris tribuloides. Hopefully, that "other Boomer" will see this and chime in with a correct identification. __________________ Intelligence is not knowing all the answers, but knowing where and how to find them! www.google.com

11-22-2006, 10:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? BoomerD- Thanks for the help with the pic! It does resemble the "pencil urchin". It seems like the spines are just around the diameter, and some seem to be a little knobby. I don't know that much about urchins... There are just so many different species. I would like to give it a good home though! So, if anyone can give me info... __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

11-22-2006, 11:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
corallimorph Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 226 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Pencil urchin(Eucidaris tribuloides) -Dave

11-22-2006, 12:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
Cougra Dragon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 2,216 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? While I agree it's a pencil Urchin or the genus Eucidaris. However it's very difficult for acurate species ID because many of the experts themselves don't agree, a lot of the distinguishing characteristics of urchins are only visible through disection and many of the photos on google are inacurately labeled. Having said that I have to admit that I'm leaning more towards the Eucidaris metularia due to the bald area on top where the Eucidaris tribuloides doesn't seem to have that bald area on top from the pictures I'm finding. __________________ Michelle Just because something CAN be done, it doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done!

11-28-2006, 12:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Ok... now I'm mad! I always check on this urchin (several times a day). I know, I'm obsessed. I think the barnacle (I think that's what it is) he is on in the picture ATE him. He is stuck in the top opening where the "barnacle critter" comes out. I cannot get him out. Is it possible that when the barnacle closed he was caught??? Is there anything I can do to get the barnacle to open up? __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

11-28-2006, 01:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
corallimorph Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 226 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Hey Lisa, Is your live rock from Atlantic or pacific? You see ,the slate-pencil urchin(Eucidaris tribuloides) i suggested is from the Atlantic, and the "ten-lined urchin"(Eucidaris metularia) Michelle suggested is from the Pacific,this could be a clue to an accurate I.D.-Dave p.s. they both have that "bald spot"..especially at that size Last edited by corallimorph : 11-28-2006 at 05:40 PM.

11-29-2006, 02:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? I am reasonably certain my rock is from the Atlantic... But a few of the corals I have recently added were flown in from LAX. So, I would assume that came from the Pacific. Don't guess that helps much, huh? Also, he is still alive and moving in the tank. The barnacle may have been the victim in this situation. __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

11-29-2006, 04:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
corallimorph Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 226 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? If your rock is Atlantic, i would put Money on tribuloides,you see metularia also have ten striations(stripes) along each spine witch become mutated and "blurred" as the animal grows,as a juvenile(the size you have)if it were metularia,would look much more dramatic,(striped)than the urchin in your pic,plus..we can count the number of stripes or markings on you urchin ...and i don't count ten.-Dave

12-01-2006, 12:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Thanks! I hope he survives... Pretty neat hiker. __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

01-04-2007, 02:32 PM	#13 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Baby hiker urchin? Just an update for everyone who helped... The urchin is doing well. He must be eating well, he's about the size of a nickel now... Thanks Again. __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

01-04-2007, 05:38 PM	#14 (permalink)
fishheads Ricordea Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: norcal Posts: 179 View Gallery* Karma Komment	Re: Baby hiker urchin? either of those urchins,which you are correct on identieyng,the eucidaris gets up to 6 in...heterocentrotus mammillatus 12 in.( both are slate pencil)....they are omnivorous,with tendency toward carnivory....they will eat sessile animals,and catch mobile ones as well...in my opinion not good for a reef...but great for a species tank.....my friend has 1 in his reef and has never had problems __________________ 110 GAL.REEF,ask me for specs • What happens when you throw a green rock into the Red Sea? .....it gets wet...... Why are gold fish orange? .....The water makes them rusty!.....

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