The one thing we are asked most about at the tank is urchins. "Do you have any?" visitors will ask, only to hear, "Not right now - we haven't been able to find any all season!"
It's true - the only urchins I've come across this year have been tiny, and I've left those in the tidepools at the beach, because they tend not to fare well in the tank at such a small size (the crabs get to them quickly and easily).
Urchins are related to sea stars and sand dollars. They have round bodies (tests), long spines and lots of tube feet that stretch out when you hold them in the water. They use their sharp five-toothed mouths, called an Aristotle's lantern, to munch on kelp and scavenged meat. It can be hard to wrap your brain around the fact that they are, in fact, live animals - until you see their spines move and their feet stick out all around.
To find some of these cool specimens, we're reaching out to you! Have you been tidepooling this summer and seen urchins in a specific location? Please comment on this post and point us in the right direction - or if you're feeling especially daring, bring a few via cooler to the touch tank during our open hours. Thank you!
2 comments:
I just tweeted this, maybe that will help dig up something. Have you tried Wiggly Bridge on Route 103 in York yet? I used to find them there.
Haven't looked there, but I will! I went scuba diving on Saturday at Nubble Lighthouse, and saw lots of cool things - but no urchins. I wonder if the population is low this season due to limited kelp growth, predation, ocean temperatures or other factors.
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