Best Long Spined

Diadema antillarum is a regular sea-urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family and found throughout the Caribbean. This extant species plays a significant role in maintaining healthy coral reefs by consuming algae. The 1983 mass mortality event dramatically impacted populations, making it particula...

Diadema setosum is a regular sea-urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family. This extant Indo-Pacific species is notable for its vibrant orange anal ring, a characteristic that distinguishes it within the *Diadema* genus. It’s particularly relevant to marine biologists and researchers studying urch...

Diadema savignyi is a regular sea urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family and found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. This long-spined species is notable for its distinctive appearance and role in maintaining reef ecosystems. It’s frequently studied by marine biologists and researchers investi...

Astropyga radiata is a regular sea-urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family. This extant Indo-Pacific species is notable for its distinctive long spines and symmetrical structure. It’s primarily found in shallow waters of the western Pacific Ocean. Researchers studying echinoderm morphology and b...

The long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) is a large diadematid echinoid found on rocky reefs along southeastern Australia, including New South Wales, Tasmania, and the eastern Bass Strait. Where urchin densities rise, grazing can remove kelp and other macroalgae, forming barrens that r...

The blue-black urchin (Echinothrix diadema) is a species of sea urchin found throughout the Indo-Pacific region's coral reefs. It is characterized by exceptionally long, hollow spines that can reach up to 30 centimeters in length and provide protection against predators. These spines are venomous an...

Centrostephanus rodgersii is an extant Australian sea urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family. This species is notable due to its exceptionally long spines, which contribute significantly to the formation of extensive underwater barren reefs along Australia’s coastlines. Its dense populations an...

Diadema mexicanum is a regular sea-urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family. This extant species inhabits the East Pacific Ocean and plays a significant role in controlling algae growth on coral reefs. Its long spines and herbivorous diet make it a crucial component of reef ecosystems, benefiting...

Diadema africanum is a sea urchin native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, serving as a crucial herbivore that controls invasive algal growth on the rocky reefs around the Canary Islands.

*Astropyga magnifica*, commonly known as the magnificent fire urchin, is a species of marine sea urchin belonging to the family Diadematidae. Native to the Indo-Pacific region, it typically inhabits shallow coral reefs and rocky seabeds. The urchin is distinguished by its striking, brightly colored...

Centrostephanus longispinus is a species of sea urchin belonging to the family Diadematidae, commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. It is recognized by its exceptionally long, hollow, and venom-tipped spines that offer protection from predators. The echinoid typically inhabits rocky substrates and...

Astropyga nuptialis is a distinct species of Indo-Pacific sea urchin in the Diadematidae family, recognized for its long, venom-tipped defensive spines.

Centrostephanus coronatus, commonly known as the crowned sea urchin, is a species of long-spined sea urchin found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from California to Peru. First described by Addison Emery Verrill in 1867, this regular echinoid is characterized by its distinctive, sharply banded spines t...

Diadema clarki is a long-spined sea urchin found in the Indo-Pacific, taxonomically recognized as a distinct species in 1939 and widely known for its ecological role in coral reef habitats.

Astropyga pulvinata is a long-spined sea urchin in the family Diadematidae. It inhabits tropical waters of the eastern Pacific and lives on or near the seabed, where it feeds by grazing and scavenging organic material. Like other regular sea urchins, it has a roughly radial body plan and movable spi...

Diadema paucispinum is a species of sea urchin within the Diadematidae family, characterized by having relatively fewer spines compared to other Diadema species.

Centrostephanus nitidus is a sea urchin in the family Diadematidae, named for its smooth, glossy appearance and primarily found in deep marine environments.

Centrostephanus asteriscus is a species of deep-water sea urchin within the Diadematidae family, distinguished by its prominent, slender radial spines.

Diadema palmeri is a benthic sea urchin of the Diadematidae family, recognized for its endemic distribution in the coastal marine waters of New Zealand.

Chaetodiadema granulatum is a species of echinoid belonging to the family Diadematidae, distinguished by the granular texture of its skeletal structure.

Chaetodiadema tuberculatum is a deep-sea echinoid of the Diadematidae family, characterized by the distinct tubercles present across its hard calcareous test.

Centrostephanus tenuispinus is an Australian diadematid sea urchin described by H. L. Clark in 1914 and known as the western hollow-spined urchin.

Described by Ole Theodor Jensen Mortensen in 1939, *Goniodiadema mauritiense* is a notable deep-sea sea urchin first identified near Mauritius.

Chaetodiadema keiense is a marine sea urchin classified within the Diadematidae family, specifically noted for its identification in the Kei Islands region.

Centrostephanus sylviae is a Chilean diadematid sea urchin described by Koehler in 1975, notable as a South Pacific member of Centrostephanus.

*Eremopyga denudata* is a species of sea urchin described by the Swiss-American zoologist Alexander Emanuel Agassiz in 1872.