Paracentrotus lividus

Rock sea urchin

   Paracentrotus lividus is a globular sea urchin of up to 7 cm in diameter. Spines are long (3 cm), thick and smooth. Its colour is variable: violet, green or brown. Rock sea urchin is an edible species living on stones, calcareous algae or rocks, often self-covered by shell remains, or algae. According to bedrock nature, wether it is soft or not, rock sea urchin may bore, with its spines, a hole large enough to hide in during day-time. Especially active at night, it mainly feeds on red algae. It may live in groups in rock pools but also down to 30 m deep.
It is found in the Atlantic Ocean up to West Ireland, rarer in the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Classification

 (source : European Register of Marine Species)

• Echinodermata [Phylum]
• Echinozoa [Subphylum]
• Echinoidea [Class]
• Euechinoidea [Subclass]
• Echinacea [Superorder]
• Echinoida [Order]
• Echinidae [Family]
• Paracentrotus lividus (de Lamarck, 1816)

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Authors

Top photograph :
© Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with author's kind permission : 
Paracentrotus lividus, Illes Medes, Costa Brava, East of Spain. Depth 8 meters.
Text :  Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005-2017.
Translation :  Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2017.

How to cite this page in publications

Bay-Nouailhat A., September 2005, Description of Paracentrotus lividus, Available on line at http://www.european-marine-life.org/30/paracentrotus-lividus.php, consulted on 28 June 2017.
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