Sea Urchin photos

Juvenile garibaldi and purple urchins, Coronado Islands.
Species: Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02513  

Purple urchins destroying/eating giant kelp holdfast.
Species: Purple urchin, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 03404  

Purple sea urchins on rocky reef amid kelp forest.
Species: Purple urchin, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 03111  

Purple urchins destroying/eating giant kelp holdfast.
Species: Purple urchin, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 03403  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04725  

Purple sea urchin, spawning, releasing gametes into the ocean currents. Once adult purple sea urchins have reached sexual maturity, females and males release gametes into the ocean, a mode of external fertilization. The fertilized egg later settles, and begins growing into an adult.
Species: Purple urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Image ID: 05346  

Purple urchin attacked by starfish, Coronados.
Species: Purple urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 01984  

Red urchin on rocky California reef.
Species: Red urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Location: California
Image ID: 03801  

Red urchin on rocky California reef.
Species: Red urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Location: California
Image ID: 03802  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04724  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04727  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04730  

Small fish trapped in spines of unidentified urchin.
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 07016  

Urchin holes on rocky reef, Albany.
Location: James Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 01885  

Red urchin, strawberry anemones and aggregating anemones on rocky California reef.
Species: Red urchin, Anthopleura elegantissima, Corynactis californica, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Location: California
Image ID: 03798  

Purple urchin and strawberry anemones on rocky California reef.
Species: Purple urchin, Corynactis californica, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: California
Image ID: 03799  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04726  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04728  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04729  

Purple and red urchins.
Species: Purple urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 04731  

Unidentified marine urchins in a rock crevice.
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 09577  

Unidentified marine urchin.
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 09579  

Wolf eel, although similar in shape to eels, is cartilaginous and not a true fish. Its powerful jaws can crush invertibrates, such as spiny sea urchins. It can grow to 6 feet (2m) in length.
Species: Wolf eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus
Image ID: 09835  

Purple and black sea urchins on a rocky reef. The urchins will clear all kelp off a reef if their population is not held in balance by predictors. Santa Barbara Island.
Species: Purple urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 10142