Sea Urchins

Sea Urchins are spiny round creatures found all around the world. On the pacific coast we have purple and red seaurchins. Their bright shells are covered in sharp spines that help protect them and move across rocks as well as tiny tube feet to cling tightly and taste around. Sea urchins feed on kelp and algae, scraping it off rocks with a special set of teeth called Aristotle’s lantern. They play a role in coastal ecosystems through helping the kelp forests and providing food for sea otters, sea stars, and fish.