Meoma ventricosa

(Lamarck, 1816)

Cake Urchin, Red Heart Urchin

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida, Bahamas, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, and the West Indies.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits sandy substrates and seagrass areas.

Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.

Buries itself in the sand which it processes thereby removing adhering matter such as diatoms and detritus. Stingrays, snails such as Cassis madagascarensis, and shame-faced crabs are its enemy. If stressed, it can emit a yellowish poison that can kill any fish in the aquarium.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Echinoides

Order: Spatangoida

Family: Brissidae

Genus: Meoma

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

Best left in the wild.