Banded Long Spine Sea Urchin

The Banded Long Spine Sea Urchin brings striking striped spines and a very open silhouette to a marine aquarium. Those spines extend far beyond the body, so its space requirements include the clearance needed to pass between rocks without becoming trapped.

Provide a mature aquarium with solidly secured rockwork and sheltered recesses. Young animals graze algae, but the banded long-spine type can become more omnivorous as it grows and may consume sessile invertebrates. It should therefore be selected with the reef's inhabitants in mind, rather than treated as an interchangeable algae cleaner.

Use a container for transfers and avoid touching the sharp, brittle spines. Maintain stable salinity and water quality, and monitor both grazing opportunities and the condition of nearby invertebrates as the urchin matures.