Hitchhiker urchin ID?

Sregnar35

The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Aug 21, 2003
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This little bugger hitchhiked in. He's about the size of a quarter. Not sure of species. Echinometra viridis maybe?

urchin.jpg
 
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Looks like some kind of Echinometra to me, too. Where is the rock from? I think viridis is an Atlantic/Caribbean species. E mathaei is a Pacific species that looks the same as viridis to my untrained eye.
 
Not sure where the rock is from. I get my livestock from reef splendor in NY, about 45 minutes north of NYC. I guess I never thought to ask where they get their stuff from.
 
Sregnar35 said:
Not sure where the rock is from. I get my livestock from reef splendor in NY, about 45 minutes north of NYC. I guess I never thought to ask where they get their stuff from.
It may be hard to figure out, if they mix rock from different places and critters move from one to the other. Maybe just call it a NYC urchin :idea:
 
i know what it is!

i see them at work all the time when we get a shipment of live rock in. its a rock boring urchin (Echinometra lacunter or mathel). they eat at live rock and coraline algae. they also may clean up other algae as well. the get to be about 3 in and do great in most set ups, but are know to bore holes in rocks.
 
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