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Urchin

Edible sea urchin

Echinus esculentus

Britain's largest urchin, a reddish-pink to purple dome up to 16cm across, covered in short even spines with a five-part radial pattern showing through. Grazes algae off rock and kelp stipes with a mouth on its underside; edible, and once commercially harvested.

Usually seen at

8-50 m (median 18 m)

Size

Medium (10–50 cm)

Habitat

Rocky crevice, Kelp

Behaviour

On bottom

Where it's seen

Occurrence records around the UK & north-east Atlantic (OBIS). The ringed marker is the PEBL filming site.

55°N50°N10°W0°E
fewermore records PEBL site

Reference photos

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