Sea Urchin releasing sperm&eggs

[SWaquariast]

I was talking on the phone when I just hapen to look at my aquarium and I see my red sea urchin releasing sperm or eggs or one or the other. I recorded it on my video camera but I will I need to burn it onto a disc then onto my computer where I can shair it with you.
I'm excited and its awsome so I will be shairing it with all of you.

 

[SWaquariast]

I also want to know if it releases both sperm and eggs so I can have little sea urchins in my aquarium.

 

[ReefTECK]

You might, I don't know if they have any metabolic mechanisim in their gametes to recognize one another, some animals do, and this inhibits self fertilization. I guess I didn't even know they were simultaneous hermaphrodites.

If you had another one you might be able to collect sperm and egg in a turkey baster and introduce the milt to a second, isolated, urchin in a bucket, it may trigger uncontrollable spawning of the other organism, that is if it is mature enough, has enough food stores, and developed eggs, etc. But that method and idea is all entirely based upon what I know of clam spawning.

Tagging along for answers, I'll go cruise RKmag and see if there is some content there.

ltz,
andy

btw: There is a CORAL mag that features the biology of urchins, (it's one of 4 from the entire collection that I'm missing). Anybody got that one for reference? wanna sell it?