Illes Medes, Spain, 8 meters, 2005, WBN
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.
Paracentrotus lividus is found in the Atlantic Ocean up to West Ireland, rarer in the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Source : World Register of Marine Species
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Biota (Monde)
Animalia (Règne)
Echinodermata (Embranchement)
Echinozoa (Sous-embranchement)
Echinoidea (Classe)
Euechinoidea (Sous-classe)
Carinacea (Infra-classe)
Echinacea (Subter-classe)
Camarodonta (Ordre)
Echinidea (infra-ordre)
Parechinidae (Famille)
Paracentrotus (Genre)
Paracentrotus lividus (Espèce)
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2025.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Image satellite: © Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.
Données de distribution : Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-09-10.
Source : World Register of Marine Species
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Biota (Monde)
Animalia (Règne)
Echinodermata (Embranchement)
Echinozoa (Sous-embranchement)
Echinoidea (Classe)
Euechinoidea (Sous-classe)
Carinacea (Infra-classe)
Echinacea (Subter-classe)
Camarodonta (Ordre)
Echinidea (infra-ordre)
Parechinidae (Famille)
Paracentrotus (Genre)
Paracentrotus lividus (Espèce)
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2025.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Bay-Nouailhat A., September 2005, Description of Paracentrotus lividus, [On line] https://european-marine-life.org/30/paracentrotus-lividus.php, consulted on 2025 September 10.
Author
Chargée d’études en environnement marin
Plongeuse professionnelle - Naturaliste
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