Red urchin

Appearance

''Astropyga radiata'' is a large urchin with a test diameter of up to 20 cm , flattened or slightly concave on the aboral side. The spines are up to 4 cm long and are grouped in five vertical clusters in between which are V-shaped areas with no spines corresponding to the interambulacral plates. These bare areas are red with lines of iridescent blue dots while the colour of the rest of the test and spines varies from reddish-brown to purple, dark brown or nearly black. The spines are long and hollow ; they are of two kinds, the shorter being venomous. The anal sac is prominent, brown with a dark tip. Juveniles have spines with transverse banding and this characteristic sometimes persists into adulthood.

Naming

"''Astropyga''" comes from ancient Greek, ''astro'' meaning "star" and ''pyga'' "anus". Hence, it is named because of its star-shaped anus . "''Radiata''" comes from Latin and means "radiant", because of its colors and spines. In English, it is also called star urchin, blue-spotted urchin, red sea urchin, or false fire urchin . It goes by the name of ''Roter Seeigel'' in German, ''Riccio rosso'' in Italian, ''Falso erizo de fuego'' in Spanish, and ''Oursin rouge'' in French.

Distribution

''Astropyga radiata'' is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean at a maximum depth of about 70 metres but more normally at 10 to 30 metres . Its range extends from the African coast to Hawaii and Australian waters. It is often found in lagoons and bays where the substrate is sand, shingle or coral rubble. Sometimes many urchins collect together in one locality in dense aggregations.

Behavior

''Astropyga radiata'' is mostly nocturnal and feeds by grazing on algae. The mouth is at the centre of the oral surface where there are five powerful teeth in an arrangement known as an Aristotle's lantern. This urchin is light sensitive and can angle its spines towards an approaching threatening object.

The sexes are separate in ''Astropyga radiata''. Eggs and sperm are liberated into the water column. After fertilisation, the larvae are planktonic and develop through several stages before settling on the seabed and undergoing metamorphosis into a juvenile urchin.

Habitat

''Astropyga radiata'' is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean at a maximum depth of about 70 metres but more normally at 10 to 30 metres . Its range extends from the African coast to Hawaii and Australian waters. It is often found in lagoons and bays where the substrate is sand, shingle or coral rubble. Sometimes many urchins collect together in one locality in dense aggregations.A number of crustaceans and fish live in association with this urchin. These include the commensal shrimps ''Periclimenes hirsutus'' and ''Stegopontonia commensalis'' and the crab ''Zebrida adamsii''. Another crab, ''Dorippe frascone'' is a symbiont and carries the urchin on its back. Certain juvenile fish also live among the spines including young emperor red snappers , cardinal fish and the zebra lionfish.