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Diadema setosum
It is a typical sea urchin, with extremely long, hollow spines that are mildly venomous. D. setosum differs from other Diadema with five, characteristic white dots that can be found on its body. In addition, a clear distinguishing characteristic of the species is the presence of a bright, orange ring around the urchin's periproctal cone, a structure commonly referred to as the urchin's "anus". A few other minor characteristics in D. setosum include bluish spots on the organism's genital plates and similar blue spots (iridophores) arranged in linear fashion along its test. (wiki)
Marine; The species can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from Australia and Africa to Japan and the Red Sea. (wiki)
Despite capable of painful stings when stepped upon, the urchin is only slightly venomous and does not pose a serious threat to humans. (wiki)
Spotted on Jan 25, 2008
Submitted on Feb 11, 2012
2 Comments
Thanks, Sachin! There are a lot of these urchins at our beaches here - always need to watch where you are stepping...or wear water shoes. ;-) On the north coast (Mediterranean), Egyptians eat these!
Interesting spotting,