Name: Purple Sea Urchin
Information: These urchins can be purple, brown, or black in color. The body is round and covered by medium to long spines. These spines protect the entire body except for a small area around the mouth on the bottom surface. The bottom spines surrounding the mouth are flattened out to get a better grip on the surface instead of being sharp like the others. The mouth of the urchin is made up of five small white teeth and is located on its underside. Pedicellaria are shorter more specialized spines. They are tiny pincers that act like tweezers. They are used to keep the body surface clean. Any bits of sand, floating debris or animal larvae that land on the urchin is plucked off and discarded by these structures. Eye spots are found on the underside and are used to detect light.