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I am a sea urchin. I have a globular body, a bit flatter at its base.
I have a hard shell covered with sharp spines, which I use to defend myself and move very slowly.
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We live in groups in shallow waters and rocky bottoms. Every sea urchin burrrows a place into hard rock to live in.
It uses its tube feet to cover itself with stones, shells or seaweed. In this way it is very difficult to be spotted.
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I feed on seawed, sea plants and minute animals. I catch the food with my claws and bring it to my mouth.
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There are male and female urchins: male's gonads are light yellow or brown and female's gonads are dark yellow or orange. For breeding, male and female sea urchins shed our sexual products into de sea, and fertilisation takes place in the water.
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Humans can only eat our breeding glands. Humans catch us some days before spawning. Thus, they must be very careful, because if there is no control in doing so, we can not breed an we may disappear.
You can find sea urchin's skeletons on the beach.
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