Hey guys/gals,
Just wondering,
My long spined sea urchin has been cleaning my tank for about 3 weeks now. When I bought him some of his spines were white, ( I guess from the stress of moving) he isdoing well bu I have noticed that he has molted some of his spikes. Parameters are fine and he is very active. Just wondering if this is normal for an urchin to loose its spikes
mine is loosing some too, and man, hes growing fast!!
arent they cute hehe?
White/colorless spines are underdeveloped spines.
If your urchin is losing spines(more than a few) it might be from stress... However, if it's traveling a lot that the sign of a healthy urchin.
if ur urchin is looking spines, it a sign of it dying.
he is very active, even during the day
Good to see you're still in the game
When the long spine urchin in my tank gets stressed he doesn't lose spines. Instead he goes "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre" and shoots his reproduction juices in jet like manner from 5 or 6 spots around his centre.
And apparently he gets stressed VERY easily... :o
I have a long spined urchin and that is the way he is. Has many white spines, many black spines. Been in my tank for over a year now.
I knew a guy in highschool who had a large lock of grey hair amongst his black hair, it's not so unusual.
I would not worry about it at all.
just an update.
Spike is alive and well, he still has white spines and has stopped loosing them