Needle-spined Urchin

Range: West Pacific - Philippines to Japan, eastward to the Hawaiian Islands

Less common than other urchins in Hawai‘i, the needle-spined urchin was so insignificant to Native Hawaiians that it doesn't even have a known Hawaiian name. These urchins grow upwards of three inches in diameter including the spines, and range in color from pinkish-purple to black. Although somewhat visually similar to rock-boring urchins (Echinometra mathaei) and oblong urchins (Echinometra oblonga), these urchins can be differentiated by notably thinner, sharper spines and typically larger tests.