Bat star and purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) in the California Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) — Bat star (Asterina miniata) and purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), California Channel Islands NMS.

Creator: Claire Fackler, CINMS, NOAA; NOAA Photo Library, source Flickr credit “sanc0048”. [CC BY 2.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en). Also public domain in the United States as a work of the U.S. Government (NOAA; Commons PD-USGov-NOAA).

Licence: CC BY 2.0; also public domain in the United States as a U.S. Government (NOAA) work

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Species record

Purple Sea Urchin

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Explore the Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The purple sea urchin occurs on the eastern Pacific coast from Alaska to Cedros Island, Mexico. It grazes algae on rocky shores and reefs; dense subtidal groups can graze kelp down to the holdfasts and form urchin barrens.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Echinoderms
  3. Class: Sea urchins
  4. Order: Camarodonta
  5. Family: Strongylocentrotidae
  6. Genus: Strongylocentrotus

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
mid- to low-intertidal cracks and pools, mussel beds, subtidal rocky reefs
Selected regions
North America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Tiny tube feet can pass food from an urchin’s back down to its mouth like a bucket brigade.

More images

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus in an aquarium at Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.

Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) — Strongylocentrotus purpuratus in an aquarium at Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.

Creator: [David Monniaux](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:David.Monniaux). CC BY-SA 3.0 (migrated); also GFDL and CC BY-SA 2.0 France. Licence: [CC BY-SA 3.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 (migrated); also GFDL and CC BY-SA 2.0 France

View image source

Sources and attribution