Western Pacific purple sea urchin
Heliocidaris erythrogramma
Adults inhabit rocky reefs and kelp-covered coastal shallows of southern Australia. They graze algae from hard surfaces using a powerful five-toothed feeding structure. Their purple spines protect the hard test and can make dense populations important grazers in reef communities.
- Type
- Shell
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Western Pacific purple sea urchin