Banded Sea Urchin

Description:

Close-up of dorsal region of banded sea urchin, showing anal sac.

Habitat:

Near shore tropical waters; coral reef ecosystem.

Notes:

Spotted offshore of Leeward Oahu; Month and day notional; year is known with certainty. Image shows the top of the urchin; its mouth is on the bottom--it spends its life "face down". Original medium photoprint, taken with Nikonos III using flash and close-up kit; print subsequently scanned and image saved as digital file.