Embryonic Journey
You probably don’t recognize this little fella without the trademark prickly spines. But it’s a purple sea urchin nonetheless, or at least it will be when it hatches.

If it hatches at all. Urchin eggs make great meals for fish, sea slugs, and people– so they are often swept from the sea as soon as they are spawned.

If it escapes its predators, this egg will grow into a baseball-sized bottom-dweller with short, lavender spines. Urchins like the simple life: cruising the sea floor, munching on algae, and staying home with the kids. The purple urchin is most common in the exposed rocky areas on the west coast of North America. Look for it in tide pools or your nearest sushi restaurant.

NSF