Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus
The purple sea urchin is a member of the phylum Echinodermata, and it fits many of the characteristics of the phylum. Its exterior is covered in vivid purple spines, and its body is radially symmetrical, with its mouth at the center of its body. In addition to the spines, its hard exoskeleton is covered in 'tube feet,' small, tentacle-like appendages that can capture kelp strands.
The purple sea urchin feeds on sea vegetation, spending much of its time near kelp forests, gathering kelp strands and algae that floats past.
Its mouth, known as Aristotle's lantern, contains five carbonate teeth, and leads into the organism's pharynx and intestines, which run in a circuit inside the urchin's body, and to its rectum, on the opposite side of the organism from its mouth.
The purple sea urchin feeds on sea vegetation, spending much of its time near kelp forests, gathering kelp strands and algae that floats past.
Its mouth, known as Aristotle's lantern, contains five carbonate teeth, and leads into the organism's pharynx and intestines, which run in a circuit inside the urchin's body, and to its rectum, on the opposite side of the organism from its mouth.