Echinometra mathaei, (Blainville, 1825)
Echinometra mathaei, the burrowing urchin, is a species of sea urchin in the family Echinometridae. It occurs in shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific region. The type locality is Mauritius.
Echinometra mathaei grows to a test diameter of about 5 centimetres (2.0 in). The colour is quite variable but the test is usually a dark colour. The spines are sometimes green and purple with purple tips or entirely green with purple tips but this sea urchin can be distinguished from other species by a characteristic pale ring at the base of each spine.
Echinometra mathaei is found on reefs in tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean at depths down to 139 metres (456 ft). Its range extends from Madagascar, the East African coast and the Red Sea to Hawaii.
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