Sea urchins are invertebrates that live in shallow ocean waters, and many of these ancient creatures are edible. However, some particularly fresh and beautiful sea urchins are often poisonous. Do you know which varieties of sea urchins are the most beautiful? Here are ten of the most fascinating sea urchin varieties, including the trumpet-shaped sea urchin, the flame sea urchin, the pencil sea urchin, the blue tuxedo sea urchin, the giant purple ball sea urchin, the long-spined sea urchin, and the star-shaped anal sea urchin, among others. Let's admire their beauty together!
1. Horned sea urchin
The trumpet-shaped sea urchin, resembling a vibrant trumpet flower, is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful sea urchins in the world, primarily inhabiting tropical waters. Unlike edible sea urchins, the trumpet-shaped sea urchin is highly venomous, possessing highly developed and potent venom glands. A sting can cause excruciating pain or even death. Therefore, it should be kept away from and never touched. In 2014, this sea urchin was listed in the Guinness World Records as the "most dangerous sea urchin." Perhaps its bright colors are simply a warning signal to potential predators.
2. Flame Sea Urchin
Which sea urchin species is the most beautiful? I personally prefer the flame sea urchin because of its fiery red body and unusually long, thin spines. Although the name "flame sea urchin" suggests it might burn, it's not actually flammable; rather, it gets its name from its red and white spikes, which are highly venomous. Contact with them causes a burning, painful sensation. Furthermore, the flame sea urchin's appearance truly evokes images of flames burning on the seabed, making it exceptionally beautiful and captivating. Through its unique self-protection mechanism, the flame sea urchin has become a striking "protector" on the ocean floor. Many small sea creatures, such as crabs, shrimp, and lionfish, hide around it to avoid attacks from predators.
3. Stone-pen sea urchin
The pencil sea urchin is widely recognized as one of the most ornamental sea urchins, displaying a beautiful appearance when alive. Its body color is typically an uneven shade of light brown or grayish-brown, sometimes with gray or dark purple markings. The tips of its large spines often show 1-3 light-colored rings, while the tips of the large spines on the oral surface are often red. Medium-sized spines may be white, brown, or purplish-black. Pencil sea urchins usually inhabit coral reef caves along the coast, but can sometimes be found at depths of up to 20 meters. They spawn primarily in April each year and are mainly distributed in Hainan, as well as the Xisha and Nansha Islands in China.
4. Blue Dress Sea Urchin
Which sea urchin species are suitable for aquaculture? I highly recommend the Blue Tuxedo Sea Urchin. This sea urchin is distributed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, extending to the South my country Sea and the southern waters of Japan. The Blue Tuxedo Sea Urchin has 5-10 broad stripes on its body, often appearing blue or black, while its spines are red, brown, or black. Its appearance is unique and elegant, and it extends many tentacles to navigate when walking. Furthermore, the Blue Tuxedo Sea Urchin is an excellent aquarium cleaner, adept at removing algae, making it both ornamental and practical.
5. Giant Purple Ball Sea Urchin
Among the various sea urchin species, the famous giant purple sea urchin is absolutely indispensable. This sea urchin is mainly distributed in the shallow coastal waters and other marine environments of the Pacific Ocean. The giant purple sea urchin is characterized by its large, spherical shell, exhibiting a five-spoke symmetrical structure with alternating rows of ambulatory plates and intercalary plates, resembling an Aristotelian lantern. Its shell diameter is approximately 25 centimeters. Its body color ranges widely, from red, reddish-brown, brick red, and wine red to deep purple. The giant purple sea urchin relies on its sharp spines for protection against harm.
6. Spiny sea urchin
The spiny sea urchin, also known as the "devil sea urchin," is widely distributed in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It is a relatively large sea urchin, with an internal shell diameter exceeding 10 centimeters. Its entire body is black, with a red eyespot in the center, and its black spines can reach lengths of over 15 centimeters. These spines are venomous and extremely fragile. A sting is comparable to a bee sting. Despite its slender appearance, the spiny sea urchin is adept at self-defense and can coexist with predatory fish, playing a role in controlling excessive algae growth.
7. Sea urchin with star-shaped anus
The star-anal sea urchin is a well-known species in the encyclopedia of sea urchins. This sea urchin is characterized by its eyeplates arranged around the anus, forming a ring of anal plates, with the central part being membranous and exposed. The anus is located on a low, conical protrusion. The large spines are slender, hollow, and curved, about 3-4 cm in length, with longitudinal grooves and spirally arranged slender spine rings on the surface. The exposed band around the anus and its branches are dark red, forming a beautiful star-shaped pattern, while the outer part of this area is grayish-brown or grayish-purple, which is one of the important characteristic features of this sea urchin.
8. Crown-spined sea urchin
The crown-spined sea urchin is widely distributed from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. This sea urchin has a large perimouth, wide and distinct gill slits, and its large spines on the ambulacral belt do not form rings, but have slender longitudinal grooves on their surface. The large or venomous spines on the ambulacral belt are very short, slender needle-like, with barbs at the tips. During its growth period, the spines and shell of the crown-spined sea urchin are blackish-purple, and some individuals may be yellowish-green with dark rings; the spines on the ambulacral belt are yellow. In juvenile individuals, the spine surface is duller, and the spines on the aboral side of the ambulacral belt are not green; the shell's outer surface is nearly white.
9. Spotted mushrooms and sea urchins
The spotted sea urchin is a captivating species of sea urchin, large and oval-shaped, covered in numerous spines of roughly the same length. Its overall appearance is colorful, fuzzy, and some are even quite adorable. Their colors are typically a mix of red, white, and blue, forming vibrant patterns. These sea urchins require ample hiding places and space to find food, usually hiding in burrows during the day, nesting and resting in thick layers of sand. Spotted sea urchins are generally solitary but can tolerate the presence of others of their species. However, they have low tolerance for high nitrate and copper ion levels, and may shed their spines when water quality deteriorates.
10. Red sea urchin
Red sea urchins often stand out in various sea urchin lists and are sometimes called "red sea urchins." Although they are all red in appearance, their colors vary from brick red to wine red. These sea urchins have relatively short spines, tend to stay on sheltered rocks, and their gonads are yellow.
People are familiar with red sea urchins not only because of their delicious taste, but also because of their longevity. In the list of the ten longest-living animals on Earth, the red sea urchin ranks fourth with a lifespan of up to 200 years.
This list of the top ten most beautiful sea urchins is primarily based on evaluations of the animal's appearance and popularity, with additional reference to relevant internet rankings and lists. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or offer criticism at the end.
