Red sea urchin - Red sea urchin

It is a marine animal belonging to the Echinodermata phylum, Echinoidea class, and Echinidae family. It is reddish brown in color and has spines 1-2 cm long. Its shell is flatter than other species, reaching a diameter of 8 cm and a height of 3 cm. It is commonly found on the coasts of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, from shallow shores to rocky areas about 4-5 meters deep. It can be distinguished from the purple sea urchin and northern purple sea urchin that it is mixed with by its color and shell height, but it can also be pale pink or reddish purple, and there is considerable variation in shell height. It is the fifth or sixth most abundant sea urchin in Japan, and its taste is said to be slightly inferior to other species. Its breeding season is from late September to early January. There is only one species in one genus, and its phylogenetic relationship is unclear. It is found in Japan, as well as the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island.

[Michio Shigei]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

棘皮(きょくひ)動物門ウニ綱オオバフンウニ科に属する海産動物。赤褐色で1～2センチメートルの長さのとげをもつ。殻は他種より平たく、直径8センチメートル、高さ3センチメートルぐらいになる。本州、四国、九州沿岸の磯(いそ)の浅瀬から水深4～5メートルぐらいの岩場に普通にみられる。混在するムラサキウニやキタムラサキウニとは色調と殻の高さで区別できるが、色は淡紅色や赤紫色のものがあり、殻の高さにもかなりの変異がある。漁獲量は日本産ウニ類のうち5～6位にあり、味は他種に比べてやや劣るとされる。繁殖期は9月下旬から1月初旬ごろまでである。1属1種で、系統類縁関係が明確でない。日本のほかに朝鮮半島南部と済州島に分布する。

［重井陸夫］

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