Description
Pincushion urchins are nocturnal herbivorous animals and forage at night on primarily phytoplankton, algae and seaweed making them an amazing part of any reef tank cleaning crew. They do not have eyes or ears, but they do have a mouth and use it all day every day. Their mouth is located on the underneath side of their body so that they can feed while moving. These urchins have 5 teeth that aide in tearing into plants and algae. These teeth are continuously growing because they wear down on the rocks. They move around like starfish and sand dollars with tube feet on the underside of their bodies. During the day, they hide in the rock crevices and caves.
Note: They will carry shells and other debris around from time to time and can also rearrange frags that are not secure.
If your tank has insufficient algae for the urchin to graze on, their diet should be supplemented with dried seaweed.
