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Long-Spined Sea Urchin
Sep 14, night dive in Bari Reef, Bonaire.
Diadema antillarum is a regular (round) urchin, and displays the pentamerism of echinoderms. Mature individuals of D. antillarum can reach up to 500 mm in diameter. Diadema antillarum has thin spines that range from 300-400 mm in length and can be up to four times the diameter of the test (skeleton formed inside the body). The spines are thin, hollow, and break easily. The test is rigid and there is a reduced amount of soft tissue in the body wall as compared to other species in the family Diadematidae.
The test and spines of a mature adult are typically black, but lighter colored spines may be intermixed, and in rare cases the urchin will be almost entirely white. The spines of juveniles are always banded with black and white. When the urchin dies, the spines falls off and the test remains.
At the base of the urchin are branched tentacles called tube feet, which help in gathering food, respiration, locomotion, and mucous production.
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diadema_antillarum/
''Diadema antillarum'', also known as the lime urchin, black sea urchin or the long-spined sea urchin, is a species of sea urchin in the Family Diadematidae.
This sea urchin is characterized by its exceptionally long black spines.
It is the most abundant and important herbivore on the coral reefs of the western Atlantic and Caribbean basin. When the population of these sea urchins is at a healthy level, they are the main grazers which prevent algae overgrowth of the reef.
