kjm3907
Purple Spined Sea Urchin
I caught this Urchin with a cast net close to Fort Fisher and the aquarium.
Arbacia punctulata are not venomous and range from Maine to Cuba. The color varries from in purple, white, and brown. Visible in this picture are the urchins 5 teeth called aristotle's Lantern. Because the Urchins are omnivorous the aristotle's lantern is used to consume algae and pull off pieces of dead organisms. These organisms are primary consumers. One of their ecological roles is as a food source for birds and big fish. Urchins make their exoskeleton by using calcium carbonate and magnesium. Because of the exoskeleton composition fluctuations in ocean water chemistry due to human influences can cause a decline in Urchin populations.
Purple Spined Sea Urchin
I caught this Urchin with a cast net close to Fort Fisher and the aquarium.
Arbacia punctulata are not venomous and range from Maine to Cuba. The color varries from in purple, white, and brown. Visible in this picture are the urchins 5 teeth called aristotle's Lantern. Because the Urchins are omnivorous the aristotle's lantern is used to consume algae and pull off pieces of dead organisms. These organisms are primary consumers. One of their ecological roles is as a food source for birds and big fish. Urchins make their exoskeleton by using calcium carbonate and magnesium. Because of the exoskeleton composition fluctuations in ocean water chemistry due to human influences can cause a decline in Urchin populations.