Possible confusions
- Black sea urchin Arbacia lixula: flatter, with longer spines. Never covered with debris, as it has no tube feet on its upper side.
Species sheet
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Purple sea urchin
Paracentrotus lividus (de Lamarck, 1816)
AnimalsRegular sea urchins
The common edible urchin of rocky coasts, often decorated with bits of seaweed and shell.
- Size: test up to about 8 cm across; spines about 3 cm long.
- Colour: purple, olive green or brown.
- Shape: rounded, flattened on top.
- Spines: thick and fairly smooth, each with a characteristic paler ring at its base.
- Covering: often holds seaweed, shell fragments and sometimes litter on its upper side.
Distribution map
Geographic areas (BioObs)
Western MediterraneanMediterranean - Alboran SeaEastern MediterraneanNorth-East AtlanticChannel & NorthCanary Islands
Observation type
Scuba divingApnea / SnorkellingForeshore / Shoreline
Other common names
- Rock urchinBritish English
- SteinseelgelGerman (Germany)
- Castan de marEuropean Spanish
- Erizo de mar comunEuropean Spanish
- Erizo marronEuropean Spanish
- Boga marinaEuropean Spanish
- Oursin violetFrench (France)
- Châtaigne de merFrench (France)
- Oursin comestibleFrench (France)
- Riccio feminaItalian (Italy)
- Riccio violaItalian (Italy)
- CastanhoEuropean Portuguese
- Ouriço do marEuropean Portuguese
Other invalid scientific names
—Links to our partners' sheets
Sources
- NOYER Charlotte, PETIT DE VOIZE Patrice, JEGLOT Samuel in : DORIS, 23/02/2021 : Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), https://doris.ffessm.fr/ref/specie/1437
- Wikipedia Paracentrotus lividus
How to cite this BioObs sheet?
BioObs, 12/10/2026 : Paracentrotus lividus (de Lamarck, 1816), https://bioobs.fr/en/species-sheets/461
Modification history
- Modified by Claude Code on 11/10/2026
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