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Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close
kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm
phylum. There are c. 950 species of echinoids inhabiting all oceans from the
intertidal to 5000 meters deep.[1] Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny,
typically from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) across. Common colors include black
and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, and red. They move slowly,
feeding mostly on algae. Sea otters, wolf eels, triggerfish, and other predators
feed on them. Their "roe" (actually the gonads) is a delicacy in many cuisines.
The name "urchin" is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs that sea
urchins resemble. ---- wikipedia -----
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