Creature Feature – Flower Urchin
This week features the letter ‘U’, and today’s spotlight is the Flower Urchin.
Flower Urchins are a type of sea urchin, named for their numerous and distinctively flower-like pedicellariae, which range in colour from pinkish-white to yellowish-white, each with a central purple dot. Even though these urchins are beautiful to look at, they are one of the more toxic species of sea urchin. Their scientific name, Toxopneustes, means “poison breath.”
Beneath the flower-like pedicellariae lies a forest of short, blunt spines. While most sea urchins deploy venom through their spines, the Flower Urchin uses its pedicellariae to deliver venom.
Due to their toxicity, Flower Urchins have very few predators, as few creatures can safely eat them.
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Toxopneustes pileolus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Order: Camarodonta
Family: Toxopneustidae
Genus:Toxopneustes
Flower Urchin Fact File
Size: 15–20 cm (6–8 inches)
Distribution: Widespread in the Indo-Pacific, specifically inhabiting coral reefs, seagrass beds, rocky areas, and sandy habitats up to 90 meters deep
Diet: Algae, bryozoans, and organic detritus
Behaviour: Flower urchins are among several species known as “collector urchins”. They are named this because they cover the upper surfaces of their bodies with debris from their surroundings
IUCN Status: Not listed
