Sea urchin & starfish

[zombieteenager007]

Btw xD Sea Urchins don't possess tentacles :p Just saying :F

[Danno21F]

Yes they do. They have hundreds of them, in between the spines.

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F I know what you're trying to say :p But I'm being unnecessarily specific xD Those aren't actually tentacles :p They're structures called tube feet :F

[Danno21F]

I thought the tube feet were all on the bottom. I'm talking about the thin, hairlike 'whatevers' that are slightly longer than the spines and that wave around in the water from between the spines, i.e. all across the top and sides of the urchin.

I'm sure you're right, they're not tentacles. Are these the things you're talking about when you say tube feet?

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F Yes, I'm talking about those xD It is to my understanding that those 'tentacle whatevers' are tube feet =o I am not 100% certain really :p But I've researched a bit on enchinodermata since I had a biology write-up to do about the phylum itself >.> And while I was researching, I came along the structure of the surface of a sea urchin among which were the spines, tube feet and other whats its :p I could look into the matter for you, if you wish :3

[Danno21F]

Don't go to any trouble, but I would be interested in finding out what they are exactly. They seem like some kind of sensory organ to me.

I looked on the internet but didn't find any info on those exact structures. I'm not even sure all sea urchins have them, but mine did (purple sea urchin). Anyway, I appreciate your time.

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F If the structures we are discussing are tube feet, which I'm certain they are as I've looked the matter up but I'm still not 100% sure, then yes, all sea urchins possess them :p If not all echinoderms in general ;o Since they all possess a water vascular system :3

Tube feet to be exact don't have a sensory function however ;o They're proper function is for locomotion, gaseous exchange and suction which becomes useful in feeding :p

[Danno21F]

Well, this is what's confusing. The structures I'm talking about are not used for locomotion. They're different than the tube feet on the bottom of the urchin. The things I'm talking about are hairlike structures that wave around in the water independent of the feet. They DO seem to have a sensory function. I'm pretty sure they're different than tube feet. They seem to feel things for the urchin, kind of like whiskers on a cat or antennae on an insect.

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F Hmmm... I don't know about any such structures though ;o Hmm... Could be though :3 But as far as I know I never heard of such structures o.o

[Danno21F]

I never heard of them either, so I was surprised when I saw them in action.

In my other sea urchin/starfish video you can see a couple of them a little bit, but back then I had such a crappy camera all detail was lost, and of course now I don't have the urchin any more, I let him go. Listen, if I happen to catch another urchin I'll film exactly what I'm talking about and post the video, and let you know.

Nice of you to take the time to be helpful, thanks!

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F Ohhhh dammnnnn D: Message me if you do :3 And I'll be more than happy to take the time trying to find out what they actually are :p And It's noo problem matee :D More than happy to be of service ^-^

[Danno21F]

I recently moved back to the shore (Atlantic) so there's a good chance I'll snag another urchin - they wash up after storms and if I'm running salt water I stick them in the aquarium 'til they're back on their (tube) feet. If I find one you'll be the first to know.

Meanwhile, if you find out anything gimme a holler. It can be a year from now, whatever - no hurry.

This is interesting. Thanks.

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F Ohhh cool! :D How's it like though there? :3 Hahahah xD Thx mann :D I'm sure I'll keep you informed ;D And if you need anything gimme a call :3 More than happy to look up things :D And It's not a problem ^-^

[Danno21F]

NOTE TO ALL: zombieteenager007 is CORRECT. This evening (9/10/2011) I posted a much clearer sea urchin video here on YouTube where you (and I) can clearly see that the 'tentacles' I saw waving around on THIS video are, in fact, tube feet.

Zombieteenager, thanks for the info, and thanks for being so polite about it. Imagine that, a polite teenager. EXCELLENT!

[zombieteenager007]

@Danno21F Hahahah xD Polite teenager :p Made me laugh xD It's not a problem my friend >:3 Glad I can help clear up things C:

[ikysboo]

my next door neighbor had a sea urchin and it was all black with super super spikey edges and it attcked him every chance he put his hand in the tank! and it got em one day and sent a spike through his fingure it loked so painful

[Danno21F]

I was surprised at how violent sea urchins (and starfish) can be when I had these in my aquarium. They are both meat-eaters and will kill and eat anything they can get hold of.

This sea urchin I had moved really slowly, so he never had a chance to attack me. I'll bet if he could have he would have, though! Nasty, beautiful little creature.

Thanks for the comment!

[mjndblain]

thos are so cute

[SatoTM3]

"see urchin & starfish"

battle to the death?

[Danno21F]

They tried. I had to put a sheet of glass in the middle of the aquarium to separate them because the starfish kept going after the urchin. Then one time the starfish got his arm caught between the glass sheet and the front of the aquarium and the urchin went after HIM. Chewed part of his arm off. They were both bloodthirsty.

[hotsaltwaterfish]

what kind of urchin is that ?

[Danno21F]

It's a purple sea urchin (arbacia punctulata).

[EigenX7]

Reminds me of Patrick Star. Hahaha

[Danno21F]

Yeah. If only I could get him to keep the tiny pants on.

[EigenX7]

@Danno21F but sadly you realesed them... right?

[Danno21F]

I did, yeah. The crayfish and sunfish I had in the aquarium most recently are gone too - the crayfish back into the ditch I found him in & the fish into a pond with other sunfish. Time to catch something new.

I still haven't figured out how a sunfish ended up in the ditch in front of our house - that's where I originally caught him and the crayfish. He'd have died - the ditch dried up a week after I caught him.

FYI, somehow crayfish survive the periods when the ditches dry up.

[ShinkayAMVz]

1:00-1:05 watch me me I can fly!! *starfish lifts leg*

*Camera boring back to urchin*

[Danno21F]

Yup, that's pretty accurate.

[craziibananaz401]

wow. wonderful video.

[Danno21F]

Thanks!

These guys were fascinating to watch. My only big surprise was that both sea urchins and starfish are carnivorous. I had no idea.

Their favorite food was bologna, no kidding.

[Jimilynn]

I am so happy you let them both return to the sea...their home. :}

[Danno21F]

Yeah, I felt good about it. For the last 15 years or so that's how I've kept my aquarium - I catch wild fish or sea creatures, keep them awhile, then let them go. It's a guilt-free way to keep an aquarium.

[HUNK71232]

i had a sea star ,he died but i had him for 2 years,and i just got a urchin,there cool :)

[Danno21F]

I just let both of these guys go last week. Time for something new, I guess.

[rodburch55]

i wish i lived close enough to the ocean to do that. 30 years ago i had a 55 gallon salt water aquarium, and did reasonably well, sort of. the only animal that really thrived was a red lipped blenny, that had a rock with a thumb sized hole in it, that he would sit in with his head poking out. once in awhile he'd go swimming out, and bite the red algae off the glass, leaving lip prints. i never had to feed him.

[IKillCowsWithMusic]

Mate i wish i live close enough to i wish like every morning i could get up and go to some rock/tide pools and collect what had been swept i from the night before andkeep it in a salt water tank then i could build it up nice:)

[Danno21F]

I used to work at a clam farm located right on the Atlantic - we had floating clam beds with holes in the bottom, so all kinds of baby sea creatures would swim in and use them for shelter. I'd net them & put them in my aquarium. At one point I had a pipefish, a live scallop, several baby blowfish (pufferfish), living barnacles, baby flounders, baby blue crabs, some kind of fish that is disguised as a floating stick...all KINDS of stuff in there. I let them all go eventually, back into the sea.