Tripneustes gratilla ‘Pfaffenhut sea urchin’

Beschreibung

Tripneustes gratilla - The colorful peacock urchin for the marine aquarium

Description and features

The Tripneustes gratilla, also known as the Peacock Urchin, Collector Urchin or sometimes „Sea Egg“, is an eye-catching and extremely useful sea urchin for larger marine aquariums. Its name „Pfaffenhut“ is derived from its characteristic appearance: The round, densely spiny body is covered with colorful, often contrasting patterns that can range from white to brown to purple. Also typical are the numerous, sticky tube feet and pedicellariae, with which it likes to „collect“ small objects, algae or even grains of sand on its body - a behavior that gave it its English trivial name Collector Urchin has contributed.

With a diameter of up to 10-12 cm, it is one of the larger sea urchin species in the aquarium hobby and its lively, natural-looking play of colors makes it an impressive inhabitant in the reef aquarium.

Keeping in a marine aquarium

The Pfaffenhut sea urchin is an extremely industrious algae eater and makes a significant contribution to biological cleaning in the aquarium. Its high feeding rate makes it particularly suitable for tanks with a sufficient amount of algae and stable water parameters. Due to its size and high nutritional requirements, it should preferably be kept in medium to large aquaria (from approx. 300 liters).

Tripneustes gratilla is peaceful and can be safely kept with fish, crustacean anemones, shrimps and most corals. However, due to its „collecting behavior“ it can occasionally pick up loose coral offshoots or small pieces of decoration and carry them around - sensitive offshoots should therefore be well secured.

Care and nutrition

The main food source of the Tripneustes gratilla are algae growth, filamentous algae and microalgae. In well-established aquariums, it usually finds sufficient food, but its appetite can be so pronounced that targeted supplementary feeding makes sense. Particularly suitable are

• Nori seaweed leaves

• Spirulina-containing feed

• Special sea urchin or herbivore preparations

Macroalgae such as Ulva or Gracilaria are readily accepted. A regular, secure food supply is important, as the Pfaffenhut sea urchin loses strength and becomes more vulnerable when there is a lack of food.

Due to its tireless care for algae and its interesting, often amusing behavior Tripneustes gratilla an extremely useful and at the same time decorative fish - ideal for aquarists who have larger reef tanks and are looking for active support in controlling algae.