random purple sea urchin

[120galtank]

i just noticed this sea urchin, but i have no idea what kind it is. can anyone help me? the pointy parts are purple and the body is black and fuzzy

 

[FishyReef]

Looks like a baby long-spined urchin or a pencil urchin

 

[120galtank]

Looks like a baby long-spined urchin or a pencil urchin

when i explained it to my LFS, they said it was a pencil urchin, but it doesn't look anything like a pencil urchin up close, that's why i was confused.

 

[Bifferwine]

From the picture, I would guess a pencil urchin too. Was it a hitch hiker?

 

[120galtank]

From the picture, I would guess a pencil urchin too. Was it a hitch hiker?

Yes it was a hitchhiker in some Florida Live Rock.

 

[Bifferwine]

I think it might be one of these guys:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Arb...g&biw=1366&bih=624&sei=idjfT7buG4ng2QXJyNmGCg

 

[120galtank]

I think you're dead on

 

[120galtank]

That first picture looks just like it. Thanks. :-)

 

[Bifferwine]

It seems that they are reef safe and have similar requirements to short spine urchins. Nice hitch hiker to get! That's a good one.

 

[120galtank]

It seems that they are reef safe and have similar requirements to short spine urchins. Nice hitch hiker to get! That's a good one.

I know! I was excited when I saw him!

 

[Bifferwine]

They will eat coralline -- but that's typical of all urchins. Some people don't like them because they'll leave white trails on the nice purple rocks. I have always kept a few different types of urchins in my tanks. Giving up some coralline is a small sacrifice to make to keep a cool critter like that.

 

[120galtank]

I've been researching urchins since I found him, so I heard about the coralline. I have some I can afford to lose for this little guy. He's pretty awesome.