Echinometra viridis (Reef Urchin) or Echinometra lacunter (Rock-Boring Urchin) ID?
Echinometra viridis (Reef Urchin) or Echinometra lacunter (Rock-Boring Urchin)
Help ID?
I have had this guy for about almost two months now. I collected it in North Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida.
I am not sure which species this is. The two are very similar. I have not been able to find a definitive description online. Many sites interchange pics of the two.
The best description between the two I have found has been at wetwebmedia. LINK
I believe it is a Reef Urchin due to the white rings at the base of the needles.
On a side note he has been very good and has not knocked over any of my rocks. He has done a great job of cleaning macro-algae and algae from the rocks and tank. We will see how he does when I finally introduce some corals into the tank. I have been "cycling" the tank for about five months now.
On a side note he has been very good and has not knocked over any of my rocks. He has done a great job of cleaning macro-algae and algae from the rocks and tank. We will see how he does when I finally introduce some corals into the tank. I have been "cycling" the tank for about five months now.
Thanks for the compliments. The picture does it no justice. Close up it looks amazing. He is almost 4" inches and really good guy. Amazingly it goes in between rocks and out the other side and does not destroy my tank. He just lays down all the spines and gets through.
I'm working on these two species of sea urchins, so i try to help you..I'm almost sure is a viridis for the white rings on the spines and the darker tips. echinometra lucunter usually is black-brownish, sometimes red and have no white visible rings at the base of the spines.
anyway a good description is:
I'm working on these two species of sea urchins, so i try to help you..I'm almost sure is a viridis for the white rings on the spines and the darker tips. echinometra lucunter usually is black-brownish, sometimes red and have no white visible rings at the base of the spines.
anyway a good description is:
I think you are totally right Liz. I also believe it is a viridis. I have heard from other people that is very difficult to identify because they tend to hybridize. I don't know how true that is but none the less I am having fun with him.
It is still the same size as far as I can tell. It seems to be healthy and has not lost any spines. It has been three months since I last posted.
It has a buddy now too. I guess I got a hitchhiker from a loose rock near a saltwater park in Miami. When I first saw it 5 moths ago it was the size of a pea and white. When I took pictures of the tank mate above it was black and the size of a bottle cap. Now it is larger than a silver dollar and getting some red mixed with the black. It is a shame that I have not been able to take pictures of the growth. My two full time jobs have not allowed me to add coral to my tank, only maintain it. Let alone take pics. But I will get pics of the new viridis soon.
...did somebody tell that they tend to hybridize?? I'm TRYING to make them cross, but it seems that they developed a strong reproductive isolation, and there's no way to find hybris even if their habitat overlaps in part. So, if you find some hybris,send me the picture, cause I've never seen one!!!
Herby, that is one beautiful Urchin. I actually saw one in a local pet store that the owner has in the display tank. It's about 9 inches in diamtere. It's just ridiculous.
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