Thick, blunt spines give this urchin its pencil-like appearance. It lives where waves sweep over the upper reef.
- Local names
- Tara fetu’e
About this species
Heterocentrotus trigonarius carries stout spines of very different lengths and thicknesses, sometimes as thick as a pencil. The guide describes colours ranging from pale green to violet.
It favours exposed upper slopes and the crest of the barrier reef. The mouth faces the surface beneath it, while the anus lies on the opposite side. Its diet is mainly algae, especially red coralline algae.