Georgia Arnold

Mrs. Cook-Science

October 22nd, 2015

Sea Urchin

The Sea Urchin, or Strongylocentrotidae pupuratus, is a spiky sphere usually brown, with a small, claw like mouth. A structural adaptation of the sea urchin is that they have a spiky body, making it impossible for predators to swallow this organism. Its spikes alert when a predator is near, making them appear bigger and spikier. A behavioral adaptation of the sea urchin is that they form large aggregations. Sea urchins are in the eukaryote domain, animalia kingdom, echinodermata phylum, echinoidea class, echinoida order, strongylocentrotidae family, Strongylocentrotidae genus, and pupuratus species. They prey on plankton, algae, and barnacles. They have no main predators, so they are able to live up to 200 years. They are endothermic heterotrophs which means they are warm blooded organisms who rely on other organisms for energy. They tend to live in rocky, ocean floors and or in coral reefs from Florida to Rhode Island. The sea urchin has radial symmetry which means it can be divided in half anywhere and still be symmetrical.