Tag Archives: Urchins

Red Pencil Urchin

I saw this Red Pencil Urchin in the shallows of Kawaihae Harbor. In the gentle waves, it oscillated between mostly exposed and mostly covered.

The Numbers Game #25

Encrusted pilings in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii — Corals grow on the pilings in Kawaihae Harbor.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 146. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

These photos, all with a 146 in their numeric identification, are from a snorkel in murky water in Kawaihae Harbor.

Orange Red Didemnid in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii — I think this is Orange-red Didemnid, a kind of tunicate.

A Banded Urchin on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii — A Banded Urchin on a piling.

An Aama crab on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii — A Banded Urchin on a piling.

Long-spined Urchins

This pair of Long-spined Urchins was attached to the front of the concrete ramp, in Kawaihae harbor, that the military uses to bring vehicles and supplies ashore to Pōhakuloa Training Area.

The Numbers Game #13

An A'ama Crab skitters through a field of Helmet Urchins in Hawaii — An A’ama crab skitters through a field of Helmet Urchins.

The blooms of a yucca plant. — A Yucca plant in full flower.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 134. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

A mural painted on the side of Hawi Post Office.

A Ruddy Turnstone watches from a rock in Hawaii — A Ruddy Turnstone watching.

A Pallid Ghost Crab waits by the entrance ot its burrow. — A Ruddy Turnstone watching.

Banded urchin

This Banded Urchin is one that actually looks like its name. The most common long-spined urchin here, it’s generally a uniform dull black. Long-spined urchins provide a refuge for small fish, such as the Bright-eye Damselfish seen scooting for cover here.

Two urchins

A red pencil urchin and a collector urchin in the waters off Hawaii

Sea urchins can have a wide variety of looks as illustrated by these two I saw on a recent swim. That’s a Collector Urchin in front and a Red Pencil Urchin behind it.

Collector Urchin and Yellow Cone

A collector urchin with a yellow cone shell on its back in the waters off Hawaii

I like to keep an eye out for Collector Urchins to see what bits and pieces they have found to attach to their spines (here). What caught my eye with this one is that the shell on its back is that of a Yellow Cone. They do attach shells so I expect this was one of those rather than a living cone.

Pacific Day Octopus

On a recent swim, I happened to pass over this Pacific Day Octopus, wedged into a crack, not far below the water’s surface. It didn’t have a good, quick escape route so waited out my intrusion into its world. On the left is a red pencil urchin that it was butted up against.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii