Also called the edible urchin, the common urchin is the largest sea urchin found around our shorelines. It is spherical in shape (other species can be more flattened) and is usually pink/purple in colour, but they can also be green, red or yellow. The urchin shell is called a test, and when they die, the sea urchin will drop its spines leaving only its test. This test is a pinky-purple colour with 5 clear bands, making a star-like pattern.
Behaviour
Sea urchins are grazers, feeding on algae and small shellfish, and have tube feet which help them move around rocks and stop them from being washed away.
Size
Usually up to 15 cm diameter but there have been records up to 17.6 cm diameter!
Status
Classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Distribution
All around Scotland’s coastline.
When to see
All year around.
Facts
- Echinus is derived from the Greek ‘echinos’ meaning ‘a hedgehog’.
- Not all of the edible sea urchin is edible – It is the gonads (the reproductive organs) that are the delicacy and referred to as sea urchin roe!