Slate Pencil Urchin

Tara fetu’e

The Slate Pencil Urchin is identifiable by its thick spines, hence its name “pencil”. Their sizes vary wildly. Their colors vary from pale green to violet. Just like common sea urchins, the inferior part of the body houses the jaw and the anus is on top. It likes areas that are exposed to waves, like the top of the barrier reef. This sea urchin is an herbivore that eats algae, mostly corallinacea (red algae).