sea urchin

     

Sea urchins are small, globular, spiny sea creatures, composing most of class Echinoiea. They are found in oceans all over the world. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm across. Common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, and red. They move slowly, feeding mostly on algae. Otters, wolf eels, and other predators feed on urchins. Sea urchins are harvested and served as a delicacy.

Trivia about sea urchin

  • This spiny relative of the starfish is sometimes referred to as a sea hedgehog
  • (Sofia of the Clue Crew reports from Sea World in San Diego) This spiny sea creature that I'm holding is on a lot of menus in Martinique, where it's known as oursin
  • (Jimmy stands in the market again.) In Japan, uni is this sea creature, of which the U.S. is the largest exporter & Japan is a major importer
  • Chile is the largest exporter of this sushi ingredient, & virtually all of it is imported by Japan