About Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck, 1816)
Sphaerechinus granularis is a large sea urchin with a somewhat flattened dorsal surface, reaching up to fifteen centimeters in diameter. This species has two distinct color forms: both have a purple test, but one form has purple spines while the other has white spines. Its spines are short, blunt, all the same length, and neatly arranged in rows. Sphaerechinus granularis occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Channel Islands south to Cape Verde and the Gulf of Guinea. It prefers sheltered locations, and lives on seaweed-covered rocks, gravelly substrates, and in meadows of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. It is most commonly found in the neritic zone down to around 30 meters (100 ft), but can occasionally be found as deep as 130 meters (430 ft). In Tunisia, Sphaerechinus granularis lives alongside two other sea urchin species: Centrostephanus longispinus and Paracentrotus lividus. It is preyed on by the starfish Marthasterias glacialis and Luidia ciliaris. The gonads of Sphaerechinus granularis are considered a delicacy in Italy, Provence, and Catalonia.
