Pebble Collector Urchin

Pseudoboletia indiana

Pseudoboletia indiana is a round, white echinoderm adorned with short spikes that can be colored white, pink, purple, or green at their tips. Typically, it measures around 5 inches (130 mm) in diameter. This species is known for its unique behavior of collecting debris from its environment, which it uses for camouflage on the ocean floor. It can be found in a variety of locations including Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and Madagascar, thriving in habitats that range from coral reefs to rocky bottoms at depths of up to 100 meters (330 feet). The pebble collector urchin often provides shelter for smaller marine life, such as the miner’s urchin shrimp, by using pebbles and coral for cover. At night, it abandons its camouflage and roams in search of food. Reproduction in Pseudoboletia indiana is characterized by external fertilization, with eggs often brooded in various locations on the body. The embryos develop into planktonic larvae before settling on the ocean floor and metamorphosing into juvenile urchins. Encounters with this species during dives can be intriguing, as divers may observe its unique behavior of collecting and rearranging debris, making it a noteworthy find on the ocean floor. The conservation status of Pseudoboletia indiana is currently listed as Not Evaluated.