Illes Medes, Spain, 8 meters, 2005, WBN
Paracentrotus lividus is a globular sea urchin of up to 7 cm in diameter. Spines are long (3 cm), thick and smooth. Its colour is variable: violet, green or brown. Rock sea urchin is an edible species living on stones, calcareous algae or rocks, often self-covered by shell remains, or algae. According to bedrock nature, wether it is soft or not, rock sea urchin may bore, with its spines, a hole large enough to hide in during day-time. Especially active at night, it mainly feeds on red algae. It may live in groups in rock pools but also down to 30 m deep.
Paracentrotus lividus is found in the Atlantic Ocean up to West Ireland, rarer in the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Source : World Register of Marine Species
Biota (Superdomain)
Animalia (Kingdom)
Echinodermata (Phylum)
Echinozoa (Subphylum)
Echinoidea (Class)
Euechinoidea (Subclass)
Carinacea (Infraclass)
Echinacea (Subterclass)
Camarodonta (Order)
Echinidea (Infraorder)
Parechinidae (Family)
Paracentrotus (Genus)
Paracentrotus lividus (Species)
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2025.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Image satellite: © Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.
Données de distribution : Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-09-18.
Source : World Register of Marine Species
Biota (Superdomain)
Animalia (Kingdom)
Echinodermata (Phylum)
Echinozoa (Subphylum)
Echinoidea (Class)
Euechinoidea (Subclass)
Carinacea (Infraclass)
Echinacea (Subterclass)
Camarodonta (Order)
Echinidea (Infraorder)
Parechinidae (Family)
Paracentrotus (Genus)
Paracentrotus lividus (Species)
Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2025.
Photos : ©
Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography
Bay-Nouailhat A., September 2005, Description of Paracentrotus lividus, [On line] https://www.european-marine-life.org/30/paracentrotus-lividus.php, consulted on 2025 September 18.
Author
Chargée d’études en environnement marin
Plongeuse professionnelle - Naturaliste
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