Urchin eating my Sinularia

[rickm]

This morning I got up to find my urchin resting next to and partly on my Green Sinularia. I figured it was just resting there but decided to boot it away. When I came home from work the urchin was back on the Sinularia only it was clear to me it wasn't resting on it. It was eating it ! :( It took a chunk out of the second stock and now can just barely support itself. It's all black around where it was eating it. So much for these just eating algae.Here's a pic of the urchin I have, in case you want to know the type.

[Whoyah]

Sorry to hear that.

Marine Dept lists a similar urchin as a potential "coral eater". Here is the link.

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/pincushion-tuxedo-urchin---mespilia-globulus-inverts--urchins.html

[Sweetpea]

That's so sad; he's a handsome urchin...

[TOOMANYFISH]

I read that if Urchins don't find enough algae to eat they will eat corals to survive.

[davejnz]

No,there are only some species that eat corals.IME,the best algae eating urchin i've had is a Diadema sp.