Description: A medium-sized regular sea urchin found only in the northern part of the British Isles. Colour is greenish-brown with large conspicuous pedicellariae obvious amongst the spines. The spines are greenish with white tips. The tube-feet are in arcs of 5-6. Up to 8cm. in diameter.

Habitat: A typical shore form, also common in shallow water at sheltered sites often in fairly strong currents.

Distribution: Confined to the north of the British Isles, common in Shetland and recorded from NE coasts of Scotland and the North Sea.

Similar Species: The distribution does not overlap with Paracentrotus lividus and this is a more robust urchin than Psammechinus miliaris.

Key Identification Features:

• Low arched test.
• Tube-feet in arcs of 5-6.

Distribution Map from NBN: Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776). AphiaID: 124321.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Echinodermata; Echinozoa; Echinoidea; Euechinoidea; Carinacea; Echinacea; Camarodonta; Echinidea; Odontophora; Strongylocentrotidae; Strongylocentrotus