Blacklight Urchin
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a group of blacklight urchins resting on a coral.
Blacklight urchins are bioluminescent echinoderms.
Behavior and Observations
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- They are mostly harmless. Their spikes are quite sharp, but not toxic.
- They are very prolific and overabundant in beaches. This is because they are basically defenseless against any natural predators, and need to quickly reproduce in order to avoid extinction.
- Their insides are mostly composed of a fluorescent liquid which varies in color depending on their exterior(or is it the other way around?). The liquid is also not fit for human consumption and, although it is not lethal, will cause immense gastrointestinal pain if ingested.
- During festivals, there is an ancient tradition of competing to see who can throw one of them the farthest. Groups of up to 5 people will pick a color and look for an urchin of said color. Once they find one, they have to go to a designated area and throw it with all their strength. The color that got the farthest usually wins a prize.
Personal Notes
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My parent's old house had a pretty tall treehouse, I used to sit there during dusk and watch hundrends of urchins glow on the seashore. I get very nostalgic whenever I see one of these guys, they're pretty cute also.