Tripneustes gratilla (Pincushion Urchin, Hairy Colored)

Source liveaquaria.com

QUICK STATS

• Care Level: Moderate
  
• Temperament: Peaceful
  
• Reef Compatible: Yes
  
• Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
  
• Color Form: Black, Purple, Red, White
  
• Diet: Omnivore
  
• Origin: Indo-Pacific
  
• Insert Date: 15 May 2011
  

The Hairy Pincushion Urchin is also known as the Sea Egg, and the Priest-hat Urchin. It has five or ten double rows of white and red spines separated by spaces of red, purple, white or black. To camouflage itself, it often covers itself with rocks, sponges, shells, or algae. In addition to camouflage, this provides shade, and in some cases, a food source. These urchins work wonders in aquariums that suffer from filamentous algae infestation, consuming this undesirable algae quickly.
It will generally do well in an aquarium if provided with ample hiding places and a large area in which to move. It prefers an aquarium with live rock so that it can graze on algae and it will even eat Caulerpa sp.. It should be housed with nonaggressive fish. It is sensitive to high levels of copper-based medications. Poor water conditions will cause it to shed its spines and rapidly decline in health.

It is extremely difficult to breed in an aquarium with no distinguishing characteristics to help differentiate it from its mate.

If there is insufficient algae for it to graze on, the Hairy Pincushion Urchin should be fed dried seaweed.

Yesterday we went to pick up 2 urchins we where able to trade for a couple of coral fragments. They are 2 really awesome looking urchins, one nice small Tripneustes gratilla and a bigger Echinometra mathaei. Traded both of them for a piece of Cabbage leather, starburst polyps and Finger leather.

Both arriving in the box

The Tripneustes gratilla moved into the crab tank. This shouldn’t give any problems for a long time since it is still very small. It moved around a bit on the sand, already leaving a trace of white behind him. The crabs don’t bother much with him, so seems that he is a good addition to keep algae out of there.

The urchin is dead already, yesterday I noticed he was shedding so I tried moving him into the RSM so that he might recover there, but it was too late. I noticed the cleaner shrimp already finishing him last night.