Jenni's Beach Adventure Journal
Wednesday the 4th of April, 2022
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Ten Mile Beach, Northern NSW
What exactly is a sea urchin?
They are small, globe shaped animals with spines but no brains although they do have tube feet between their spines so they can move around. It would look like they are walking on stilts! These interesting creatures can be found on the sea floor in all oceans around the world.
If you lightly touch a sea urchin you probably won't get stung but if you step on one, it will sting and release venom. Ouch!
Fun facts: they have 5 teeth which are self-sharpening, they don't sleep, have no bones (but do have an inner shell), they have lived in the sea for hundreds of millions of years, there are around 950 species.
Journal Photo 1
Stange but true: they don't have eyes, but they do have a number of genes associated with eyes which are activated by their feet. So not only do they move with their feet, but they also use them to see!
Journal Photo 2
I found this small one on the beach, they can range in size from 3cm to 36cm.
Check out this short video as we learn more about sea urchins.
