Please ID this sea urchin

[Peter Schmiedel]

Hi,

this is a irregualr sea urchin living in the sand. This and the sea start in my other post have been send form Indonesia:

Top view in bucket:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/reefsafe/irregular-sea-urchin1.jpg

Just palced in the tank before disapearing in the sand:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/reefsafe/irregular-sea-urchin.jpg

[racrumrine]

Your Urchin looks a lot like the pictures on page 191 of Sprung's Invertebrates book.

Per the book, it could be a Cypeaster, Lovenia or Maretia. They like to live and eat the critters and detritus in the sand. They are related to the sand dollar.

Best of luck,

Roy

[Peter Schmiedel]

Roy,

I am rather sure that it is Maretia planulata (http://www.echinoids.nl/Echinoids/Maretia-planulata/Maretia-planulata2.htm)

[racrumrine]

Looks like you have the ID. I have never seen one before.

Does the urchin hide in the sand all the time?

Did you buy it at the local store; or, did you have to order it?

Regards,

Roy

[Monkeyfish]

And here I am thinking that was a tribble ;)

[Peter Schmiedel]

Roy,

I found them in a local store.

I tool all they had and placed 4 in my 320 g where I only see them if my sand sleeping wrasse digs them out by accident or if they are close to one of the window panes.

Two I placed in a smaller tank which gives home to a small group of garden eels. Here I see once in a while one outside.

[racrumrine]

Peter:

Thanks for the information about them.

Best of luck,

Roy