Sea urchins are very important to the ecosystem of coral reefs. They play a critical part in maintaining the balance between the number of algae that collects on corals. Without sea urchin in the ocean, there would be too many algae in some areas, which can affect the health of the entire reef. Due to human activities and climate change, some species that consume algae have been decreasing across the world.
This includes sea urchins. To maintain reefs and other ocean environments, it is more important than ever to ensure that humans take action to stop interfering with and upsetting the delicate balance of the ocean ecosystem. What Do Sea Urchins Eat? What does a pencil sea urchin eat? Is the sea urchin a herbivore? What is the role of a sea urchin in the ecosystem? Learn more. Last Updated: Oct 20 Sea urchins are extremely interesting pets that you can keep alone or as part of a larger community.
One question we get frequently is what exactly urchins eat. If you are thinking about getting one of these colorful pincushions for your saltwater aquarium, keep reading while we look at the different foods they eat in the wild and what you should feed them in captivity to get the maximum life span. Sea urchins are spiny globular animals, and you can find more than species on the ocean floor all around the world, including Antarctica.
They come in a wide variety of colors with different types of spines. Some will have poison tips to protect them from predators, like the sea otter, starfish, tigerfish, and humans.
Some small animals will even hide inside the spikes for protection, while other animals, like some crabs, may carry the urchin in its claw and use it as a weapon. Urchins will usually range from 1 to 4 inches in diameter, but species can grow as large as 14 inches. The sea urchin is an omnivore, so it will eat both plants and animal protein. The majority of its diet consists of algae, which is why it makes a good addition to an aquarium, but it also eats plankton and seaweed from rocks and coral reefs.
It will also feed on decomposing fish if there is any in its path. I think I'll clip some seaweed on the other side of the tank to encourage it to hang out over there. Hi Chris Thanks for the interesting post, I have always been fascinated by echinoderms and urchins in particular. On a recent snorkel, I photographed a small collection of Cape urchins Parechinus angulosus off one of the beaches in Cape Town, South Africa. These urchins were surrounded and covered by the egg cases from a puffadder shyshark Haploblepharus edwardsii and I just assumed that they were placed there by their mother.
I did though wonder at the number of egg cases approximately 9 in such close proximity to each other as these sharks lay no more than two at a time. Someone has suggested that instead of the mother placing them in an urchin bed, the urchins, being opportunists, found and fed on them and the cases are the result of a gourmet meal. Is this a fairly common occurrence, shark eggs forming part of their diet?
Many thanks Sally. Based on what you've told me there are several interpretations of your observations. Urchins sometimes "decorate" themselves with adjacent debris and other items to protect themselves from UV or yes.. And as you've suggested its also possible the urchins are simply feeding. Its difficult to say.. Much of this would depend on the posture of the urchins as well as the habits of the shark. Lots to be learned!! Post a Comment. Pages Home About me Echinoblog Outreach.
Sea Urchin Feeding Roundup! Who doesn't love em? The spiny balls of the sea!
0コメント