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Purple sea urchin
Paracentrotus lividus
Μωβ αχινός

Sustainability Status

Think before consuming

Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable
Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Legal

Minimum Size

5cm (diameter without the spines)

Prohibited Consumption Period

April – June and September – November

Sustainable

Minimum Size

5cm (diameter without the spines)

Avoid Consumption Period

March- September

Advice for Consumption

Think before consuming it. Always respect sustainable size limits and breeding seasons. This is a highly exploited species. Consume responsibly.

Archipelagos Tips

Common names

FR

Oursin

it

Riccio di mare

es

Erizo de mar común

tr

Kaya denizkestanesi

pt

Ouriço-do-mar-púrpura

nl

Paarse zee-egel

de

toxicity

No

iucn info

Not evaluated

Description

Round, greenish, flattened test. Test up to 7 cm in diameter. Spines long and sharp, dark purple to dark green in colouration. Ambulacral plates with 5-6 pairs of pores. Tube feet arranged in arcs of 5-6. Looks like: Psammechinus miliaris (shore urchin), Arbacia lixula (black sea urchin)

Did you know?

Contrary to its common name, purple sea urchins can be found in a multitude of colors other than purple, varying from blackish-purple, reddish-brown, dark brown, yellow-brown, light brown, and olive green!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Omnivorous. Feeds on marine plants and animal material.

habitat

Benthic. Found in rocky ocean floor areas. Occasionally found in seagrass beds.

Max size & depth range

Max. Length: 7cm diameter Max. Weight: 70 gr Depth Range: 0 – 90m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (seperate sexes). Spawns between March through May and late summer or early autumn. Fertilization is external. Growth Rate: N/A

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 8-10 years Max. reported age: 11 years Distribution: Mediterranean and eastern atlantic. Subtropical and temperate.

appearance changes

While commonly purple, P. lividus can also be dark green, light brown, or dark brown. Despite the outer color, the underlying calcitic skeleton is always pale green.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 1 – 10 million eggs Reproductive Frequency: Once or twice a year.

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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms