Fire Urchin

Asthenosoma varium

''Asthenosoma varium'' is a sea urchin. Growing up to 22 cm in diameter, it lives on sand and rubble sea bottoms in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Australia and Southern Japan. It plays host to the commensal shrimp ''Periclemenes colemani'' and the zebra crab, ''Zebrida adamsii''.
Variable Fire Urchin Seen in Malapascua, Philippines (2012). Photo by Mark Bockstael (my husband). Asthenosoma varium is a sea urchin (an echinoderm, a member of the phylum that also includes star fish ). To 22 cm (8 3/4 in.). Uniform arrangement of tightly packed spine clusters variable in color and length on a reddish spherical body. Long yellow thin spines on lower skirt. Its upper venom tipped spines, with distinctive globular swellings below the tip, can inflict a painful sting if handled; the pain lasts as long as several hours. This capacity, perhaps coupled with its reddish brown color, has given it the common name Fire Urchin. Habitat: Growing up to 22 cm (9 in.) in diameter, it lives on sand and rubble sea bottoms in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Australia and Southern Japan. Asthenosoma varium,Asthenosoma varium (Fire Urchin),Fall,Geotagged,Philippines

Naming

Its venom tipped spines, with distinctive globular swellings below the tip, can inflict a painful sting if handled; the pain lasts as long as several hours. This capacity, perhaps coupled with its reddish-brown color, has given it the common name Fire Urchin.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionEchinodermata
ClassEchinoidea
OrderEchinothurioida
FamilyEchinothuriidae
GenusAsthenosoma
SpeciesA. varium
Photographed in
Indonesia
Philippines