Species

Edible Chilean Sea Urchin

Loxechinus albus, (Molina, 1782)

marine

About Edible Chilean Sea Urchin

Loxechinus albus is an echinoderm of the family Parechinidae, native to coastal southern South America, ranging from Ecuador, along the entire coasts of Peru and Chile, to Argentina, as well as the Falkland Islands. It is the only species in the genus Loxechinus.

It is known as the Chilean sea urchin or red sea urchin, but the latter name is typically used for the North Pacific Mesocentrotus franciscanus and it is not the only species of sea urchin in Chile (although it is the most common and widespread large sea urchins in that country). L. albus is found on rocky reefs and shores in the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 340 m (1,120 ft).

Appearance

Loxechinus albus is a fast-growing, relatively large sea urchin with a test diameter of up to 11 cm (4.3 in), although the far southernmost populations tend to grow slower and reach a smaller size. The test is dorsoventrally flattened and densely covered in small spines. Living individuals of this urchin typically appear overall dull reddish with some pale green to the spines, but its color is variable, and some large specimens have been found in deeper waters which are white. There are 6 to 11 ambulacral plates each bearing a single short primary spine and many longer secondaries. The globiferous pedicellariae have a neck between the stem and head, large valves and several lateral teeth.

Where to see it

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