Sea Urchin photos

Juvenile garibaldi and purple urchins, Coronado Islands, Hypsypops rubicundus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)
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, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Santa Barbara Island
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, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Santa Barbara Island
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, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Santa Barbara Island
Purple urchins destroying/eating giant kelp holdfast.
Species: Purple urchin, Macrocystis pyrifera, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 03403  
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, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
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, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)
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, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Red urchin on rocky California reef.
Species: Red urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Location: California
Image ID: 03801  
Red urchin on rocky California reef, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Red urchin on rocky California reef.
Species: Red urchin, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
Location: California
Image ID: 03802  
Small fish trapped in spines of unidentified urchin, San Miguel Island
Small fish trapped in spines of unidentified urchin.
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 07016  
Urchin holes on rocky reef, Albany, James Island
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, Anthopleura elegantissima, Corynactis californica, Strogylocentrotus franciscanus
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, Corynactis californica, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Purple urchin and strawberry anemones on rocky California reef.
Species: Purple urchin, Corynactis californica, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Location: California
Image ID: 03799  
Unidentified marine urchins in a rock crevice, Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe)
Unidentified marine urchins in a rock crevice.
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 09577  
Unidentified marine urchin, Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe)
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, Anarrhichthys ocellatus
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, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
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  
All photographs copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.