White Sea Urchin

Gracilechinus acutus

The white sea urchin is a species of sea urchin and is commonly known as the white sea urchin in English or long-spine sea urchin in other European languages. It is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is rather rare in Icelandic waters.

The white sea urchin has long, thin spines that are sharp and needle-like, which it uses for defense against predators. It can range in color from light pink to dark purple. It is much lighter in color and has relatively longer spines than the much more common green and European edible sea urchins. It is a herbivorous species, feeding primarily on algae and other plant material.

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