The water was calm and clear as you can see and I spotted this sea urchin in the shallows. It made for an interesting photo!
Marta
Sea Urchin
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Tag Archives: sea urchins
Sea Urchins Part 3
Skeletons or tests from urchins can be found on our beaches and in the sand.
The above photo shows a test from the Great Red Footed Urchin. I didn’t realise that both sand dollars and sea biscuits are urchins too.
Here's an urchin with a few spines still attached to the test
A pretty pink sea urchin test lying in the sand
Close up view of an urchin test found on the beach at the North West Point.
I just love finding these and you’ll be able to look for them too when holidaying here in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Hope to see you soon,
Marta
Sea Urchins Part 2
Kai collects sea urchin tests or skeletons found in the seaweed along the beach at the North West Point
Every trip out to this particular stretch of beach at the North West Point results in finding sea urchin skeletons or “tests”. There were hundreds of them this particular day and Kai and Sandra couldn’t believe their eyes at how many had been washed up and were lying in the seaweed.
Some sea urchin tests lie half buried in the sand whilst others were on the seaweed
There are more than 700 species of sea urchins and the name means sea hedgehog, hedgehog being one meaning of the word “urchin”. Some of the most frequently seen colours are black, red, brown, purple and pink.
My favourite sea urchin tests are the greenish ones...........they are so beautiful
Here's a close up ......... it's so interesting especially with that greenish tint.
Did you know that sea urchins in large populations are a good thing as they graze on algae and prevent algae overgrowth on reefs?
Happy shelling,
Marta
Sea Urchins
Low tide exposes an interesting seascape......an underwater garden of sea urchin beds
Another walk out at the North West Point where the beach is usually strewn with sea urchin tests (skeletons). If you walk out into the water you will find many live sea urchins which are black and black with red. These sea creatures apparently come in many different colours.
Long-spined Sea Urchins tucked into holes in the rocks and the coral reef just below the water out at the North West Point
Sea Urchin bodies are covered with spiney shells....the spines are moveable.
The bottom side of a sea urchin has five teeth with which they eat algae. They are found in areas where there are lots of seagrass, seaweed and other foods.
Black moveable spines protect the sea urchin from predators
Close up of a long-spined or black sea urchin
Marta
Sea Urchin
A Club or Pencil sea urchin found on the beach
Isn’t this something ! Anna found this sea urchin on the beach and I thought it just had all kinds of encrustations making it look quite unique. However on looking things up, I discovered that this is a Club or Pencil urchin.
See you on the beach,
Marta