Multi colored globe urchin from the Philippines

[Gresham]

We just started seeing these, they may have been around else where, but we've never seem them before. There just like the atlantic counter parts, feeding on aglae and picking up debris to cover themselves. Although, they seem to want to pick up way less then the atlantic green and white ones.

[karlas]

wow those are cool lookin

i never had an urchin i heard they can move rock and unstable it is this true? im just wondering ive looked at them but have heard this a couple of times

[Gresham]

This one appears to be fairly mellow in that sense. Mine has dropped 1 zooanthid rock, but everything drops that rock, including snails and hermits. I've got tons of loose polyp rocks in his tank, and they don't move a bit because of him. Land mines, diadema and green globes definitly like to move stuff around.

[Matt Rogers]

That is cool.

Hey karla, Gresham gave me a plain grey one with spikes like that and it hasn't knocked over anything, BUT..........

It mowed down ALL my macro algae, it's gone. It was like a giant salad for that guy, if I find some more macro that Laine likes, I'll probably be giving this guy back to Gresham. FYI.

[Gresham]

Matt- its a Mexican landmine urchin.

[Matt Rogers]

What's that? The one you gave me? Good to know, eheh..

[karlas]

just curious the one you put a pic of what size does it get?

[Gresham]

I'll have to look into that, there new to me. I'll ask our exporter/diver whats the typical adult size. I'd have to say that it'll be the same as a green globe, around 2" max (ball size, not spines).

[Craig Manoukian]

Way cool, I've stayed away from urchins due to their diet and travel habits

[Gresham]

Diet og micro algae? If you worried about it "eating all your coraline", don't. They don't do any noticable depletion of it. Travel, yah their nomads with gonads.