ID and info on Urchin

[J2FcM]

Here is an Urchin I came into having; I can't find it online (or don't know what to search for)

Wondering its name, food, personality, etc...

Also; Can anyone verify if a White Spotted Hermit would chow down on that sucker?

http://picasaweb.google.com/Menz.Jeff/UrchinMadness#

 

[chrisstie]

Could it be:

Echinometra viridis, the Reef Urchin. 2-3 in. diameter. Pointed purple to brownish spines with a white ring around their base. Tropical West Atlantic. Feed during the night (hide in coral, rock by day) on algae


Hope this helps

 

[J2FcM]

mmm, its definitly a closer match than what I've found... but mine is dark black, with the white circles on around each spine. The spines arent really colored either... maybe a dark dark brown with a pinch of black and purple.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

definitely viridis, it's a rock boring urchin, they stay pretty tiny, i've had 1 almost a year and it's smaller thana ping pong ball

 

[DansNano]

Glad to know what kind urchin that is. I have one of them too. Cool critter. Only comes out at night. I also have a pure white urchin that cruises all day eating algae. Dont know what kind it is either.

 

[Cracken]

the white one is one i commonly c on sandbars and the flats in south florida. I dont know the name but i know they enjoy covering themselves with shells and stuff on and around it.

 

[Superstretch18]

I couldn't tell you the latin name, but the common name is pincushion urchin. Usually they are purple, but I think that's the same species.

That may or may not be helpful, as most LFS will call any random urchin a "pincushion urchin" but if I was ordering pincushion urchins, that is what I would expect to receive...