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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

White sea urchin

Distribution : Mediterranean · Atlantic Ocean

On deep sandy seabeds, the White sea urchin stands out with its delicate appearance and fine spines sometimes tinged pink. Rarely seen by divers, this inconspicuous inhabitant helps clean the seabed by consuming debris, algae and small organisms.

Habitat of White sea urchin Habitat
Sand, Detrital bottom
Depth range of White sea urchin Depth
20-1300 m
Biological group of White sea urchin Group
Ecological role of White sea urchin Role
Herbivore

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

This sea urchin has a rounded body covered in many thin, pointed spines, denser than in some related species. Its colour varies from white to cream, often marked with slightly reddish lines or bands. The spines are long and tapered, sometimes darker at the base and lighter at the tips, giving it a delicate but bristly appearance.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It mainly lives on soft seabeds composed of sand, mud or debris, often from several dozen metres deep. It may also be seen near rocky areas but remains mainly associated with loosely consolidated substrates.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Its diet is varied: it consumes algae, organic particles and small organisms on the seabed. It feeds by scraping or collecting available material from the substrate surface.

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White sea urchin

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Other species — Echinoderm

Long-spined sea urchin Purple sea urchin Pencil sea urchin Royal sea cucumber Brittle star Melon sea urchin Purple heart urchin Mediterranean Feather Star

Same habitat and depth

Sandy seabed species Detrital seabed species

Same ecological role and depth

Herbivorous species

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