{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "sea-urchin",
  "name": "Sea Urchin",
  "scientificName": "Echinoidea",
  "category": "Invertebrate",
  "summary": "Sea urchins are round, spiny marine invertebrates related to starfish, with a hard shell called a test covered in movable spines. They graze on algae across reefs and rocky seabeds worldwide, using a five-toothed mouth on their underside known as Aristotle's lantern. Most live around 10 to 30 years, and some species are very long-lived.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Echinodermata",
    "class": "Echinoidea",
    "order": null,
    "family": null,
    "genus": null
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.1,
    "lengthM": 0.08,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0.05,
    "lifespanYears": 30
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Echinoidea (class)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Mostly herbivore (algae and kelp)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Reefs, rocky seabeds, and kelp forests worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–30 years (some far longer)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "Shell usually 3–10 cm (1–4 in) across"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Very slow; creeps on tube feet and spines"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN, most species)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Reefs, rocky seabeds, and kelp forests of oceans worldwide, from shallows to the deep sea.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Echinoidea.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Echinoidea&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Sea Urchin.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_urchin"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sea-urchin/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sea-urchin/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}