MarkH
Contributor
By the way, I've never seen one like that here either. We have plenty of red/purple ones, but their spines usually stick straight out evenly.
What happend to this Urchin??
- Thread starter Firediver
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I've never read of diet influencing external tissue coloration in any urchin species, nor have I induced it on the various urchin species I keep live (on all sorts of wacky diets). I think what you've got Fire is either:
A. an exotic
B. a genetic freak
C. a range extension for a species from a nearby region
In either case, I'd definitely report it to the nearest marine station. If you can recover the animal, stick it in the freezer for the science geeks. If you were in my local area I'd be the one doing the pickup. Some biologists get all the luck. Boo!
A. an exotic
B. a genetic freak
C. a range extension for a species from a nearby region
In either case, I'd definitely report it to the nearest marine station. If you can recover the animal, stick it in the freezer for the science geeks. If you were in my local area I'd be the one doing the pickup. Some biologists get all the luck. Boo!
adshepard
Contributor
Urchin description
From that site:
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis grows up to 8cm in diameter with a low flat profile. Skeletal plates are greenish-brown with numerous reddish, greenish, or even violet spines that are usually white tipped.
More info on urchins, spines and colors (too technical for me, maybe Archman can decifer it):
Urchins
DSDO
Alan
From that site:
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis grows up to 8cm in diameter with a low flat profile. Skeletal plates are greenish-brown with numerous reddish, greenish, or even violet spines that are usually white tipped.
More info on urchins, spines and colors (too technical for me, maybe Archman can decifer it):
Urchins
DSDO
Alan
Could it possibly have anything to do with the red tide that is all over the news about shellfish in New England? I'm no scientist...but I did play one on TV...lol...Just a thought...
OP
Firediver
Contributor
swankenstein:
well temperature ranges over here from 30 degrees to 54 degrees.. all depends on the season right now it's 45F ... This is the first red urchin I have seen around here, and the guy who found it thought aybe it's a sign... <buy a lotto ticket.. heehee
> I don't think the urchin is still around to take it to a marine station. Also the urchins around here once takene out of the water drop their spines..and moving them in tiny circles....Also may have a few broken spines from being handled by the diver who found it...............
MarkH
Contributor
Alright, I guess your water isn't as warm as the legends say (but we still have worse viz and less wrecks dammit!). On the Strait of Juan De Fuca side of Victoria where I do most of my diving, the temp is around 41-46 F. There are some semi-tropical places up in the Strait of Georgia where I feel like I'm diving in fresh pee though. It also makes sense that since the urchin is out of the water, it probably isn't in mint condition. I never thought of that. I doubt that it's an introduced Pacific species though. Over here Atlantic salmon have been found in streams (fish farm escapees) and Atlantic lobster have been found off Vancouver (there was a group that would buy and release them), but I don't know of you guys importing any Pacific species ( I guess it's hard to beat lobster).Firediver:
OP
Firediver
Contributor
Hmm.. buying lobster and letting them go... espensive work ...
Vis this summer has been really good 20-40ft, but normally it's 5-15ft. There hasn;t been a lot of run off this year and no major blooms...Red tide is only clams/mussels,it affects tube feeders.... Last week at 120ft the vis improved to 20ft but at 60ft it was 10ft.. so just depends on the season I guess......
I still can't believe the guy who found this urchin found it.. it's a one in a million... Crazy...
... Vis this summer has been really good 20-40ft, but normally it's 5-15ft. There hasn;t been a lot of run off this year and no major blooms...Red tide is only clams/mussels,it affects tube feeders.... Last week at 120ft the vis improved to 20ft but at 60ft it was 10ft.. so just depends on the season I guess......
I still can't believe the guy who found this urchin found it.. it's a one in a million... Crazy...
tommyk
Registered
You guys might be interested in the first book about sea urchin harvesting in California, Bluewater Gold Rush. I saw the greens up in Alaska during an urchin survey in'85 & I know they harvest them commercially in Maine, but we don't have them here in California. If you checkout the website (bluewatergoldrush.com) please let me know how it views - some people are complaining about text running together. I'd appreciate the input. Thanks, and be careful.
Tommy
Tommy
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