Sea Urchin Information for Kids
Sea urchins are among the strangest animals on the planet. Inhabiting everywhere from the deep waters to shallow tide pools, these animals are known for their porcupine-like spines. They have some very interesting characteristics that make them notable in the animal kingdom.
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What is a Sea Urchin?
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A sea urchin is a small marine animal from the Echinodermata phylum in the animal kingdom. They are in the same phylum as other similar animals, like star fish, brittle stars and sea cucumbers. They are known for their spiny exteriors and even the word "Echidnodermate" means "spiny skin" in Greek.
What do They Look Like?
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Sea urchins are typically very small, with most species reaching only around 4 inches in diameter. Sea urchins have porcupine-like spines, which protect them from predators, pointing out of their main body, which looks like a stone, called a "test." Most spines are only around 1 to 2 inches long, but some Caribbean sea urchins can grow spines up to 12 inches long. The spines are not known to be poisonous, but are still very sharp and can inflict pain. Sea urchins are usually dark purple or pink in color, though there are occasional mutations which produce white or beige ones.
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How do They Move?
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Sea urchins move very slowly using tubed feet underneath their body. The animal employs hundreds of these little feet, which protrude from the underside of its body. These feet move it along the sea floor very slowly, making it vulnerable to predators, hence the protective spines. Sea urchins cannot swim, and can only move across solid surfaces.
What do They Eat?
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Sea urchins have a toothed mouth in the center of the underside of their test, or main body. To eat, they crawl over a food item and tear away at it using this mouth. Urchins eat practically anything, from algae stuck to rocks, to seaweed, and even the carcasses of fish or other marine organisms.
What Eats Them?
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Because of the sea urchin's protective spines, few animals would mess with it. However, some animals will eat the little creatures given the chance. Sea otters tend to capture the urchins and break off their spines, then eat them, while other animals like moray or wolf eels will tear at the creatures' spines until the urchin is safe enough to eat. Humans also harvest sea urchins for food, particularly for their roe, which is the fleshy pieces of their interiors. They are either served cooked or as sushi, and are typically very expensive meals.
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References
- Photo Credit sea urchin image by avaz from Fotolia.com
