Collector Urchin

Collector Urchin
English Common Name
Collector Urchin
Scientific name
Tripneustes gratilla
Taxonomy
Order: Echinoida, Family: Toxopneustidae
Size
Up to 10 cm
Species Distribution
Indian Ocean to West Pacific Ocean
Okinawan Common Name
Gashi-char, Gachi-char
This species is a big sized sea urchin. Usually, it wears coral skeleton pieces or seaweed for camouflage. It is a popular food in Okinawa, but recently, the species population is decreasing due to overfishing and other factors. Some areas of Okinawa have set season and size restriction for Tripneustes gratilla fishing.

Updated October 2018

back to "Movies of Okinawa creatures" page