Short spiny urchin question

[supersmile]

I have a short spiny urchin and it seems like in one area he is bald (he has no spines). A lot of the time he has shells stuck to him and sometimes zoo's and just wondering if that could have caused him to be bald in that area. Does anyone know what this could be?

[Murminator]

Sounds like he is going downhill might wanna check your levels they get stressed form high nitrates

[justinl]

yeah check your water params. urchins are a bit sensitive.

[bubblepuffer]

yeah.. definately check your water quality. Urchin lose their spike when water quality to bad =(

Might carry around Frag and heavy rock and hanging upside down all the time and have no problem at all. If you look carefully.. it carry those item with his tiny sucker cup that extend from the body

[digitalsteve]

the suckers themselves area called pedacellaria sp.

[justinl]

no the suckers are called tube feet.

"...tube feet, which are sucker-like appendages that the echinoderm can use to move, grip the substrate, or manipulate objects. These tube feet are extended and retracted by hydraulic pressure in the water-vascular system. Pedicellaria are small, snapper-like skeletal elements that are used by the echinoderm to keep small organisms from settling on its body." -UCMP

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by bubblepuffer

Might carry around Frag and heavy rock and hanging upside down all the time and have no problem at all. If you look carefully.. it carry those item with his tiny sucker cup that extend from the body

my tuxedo's a frequent frag theif

[Bartman]

From what I've read, spine loss is the first sign of bad news.