{"id":10107,"date":"2026-02-17T19:06:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T19:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/product\/pincushion-sea-urchin-lytechinus-variegatus\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T19:06:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T19:06:26","slug":"pincushion-sea-urchin-lytechinus-variegatus","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/?product=pincushion-sea-urchin-lytechinus-variegatus","title":{"rendered":"Pincushion Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pincushion Sea Urchin \u2013 Lytechinus variegatus<\/em><\/h3>\n

Overview:<\/strong>
The Pincushion Sea Urchin<\/strong> is a small to medium-sized urchin with a round, ball-like body<\/strong> covered in short, stubby spines<\/strong>. It gets its name from its pincushion-like shape<\/strong>. Known for being efficient algae grazers<\/strong>, they are popular in aquariums for keeping live rock clean.<\/p>\n

Origin:<\/strong>
Found throughout the Western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico<\/strong>, often in seagrass beds, sandy flats, and shallow reefs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Feeding:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    Primarily herbivorous<\/strong>: feeds on film algae, coralline algae, and macroalgae.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Will graze constantly on live rock surfaces.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Can be supplemented with dried seaweed (nori)<\/strong>, spirulina, and algae wafers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Tank Mates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      Reef-safe<\/strong> (does not harm corals).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Avoid predators like triggerfish, puffers, and large wrasses<\/strong>, which may nip at or consume them.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      Aggression Level:<\/strong>
      Peaceful.<\/strong> May accidentally knock over loose corals or frags<\/strong> while grazing and moving around.<\/p>\n

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      Experience Level:<\/strong>
      Beginner to Intermediate.<\/strong> Fairly hardy but needs a mature tank with sufficient algae<\/strong> to prevent starvation.<\/p>\n

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      Water Parameters:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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        Temperature: 72\u201378\u00b0F (22\u201326\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        pH: 8.1\u20138.4<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Salinity: 1.023\u20131.025<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Tank Size: 30+ gallons<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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        Unique Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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          Rounded \u201cpincushion\u201d shape<\/strong> with spines shorter and blunter than many other urchins.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Known to decorate itself by attaching shells, bits of rubble, or algae<\/strong> to its spines for camouflage.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Active grazer that helps control nuisance algae<\/strong> in reef aquariums.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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          \u2728 The Pincushion Sea Urchin<\/strong> is a hardy, reef-safe addition that excels at algae control and thrives in tanks with plenty of live rock and established algae growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Pincushion Sea Urchin \u2013 Lytechinus variegatus Overview:The Pincushion Sea Urchin is a small to medium-sized urchin with a round, ball-like body covered in short, stubby spines. It gets its name from its pincushion-like shape. Known for being efficient algae grazers, they are popular in aquariums for keeping live rock clean. Origin:Found throughout the Western Atlantic, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10106,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[79],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10107","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-urchins","8":"first","9":"instock","10":"taxable","11":"shipping-taxable","12":"purchasable","13":"product-type-simple"},"group_of_quantity":0,"min_quantity":0,"max_quantity":"","exclude_order_quantity_value_rules":"no","exclude_category_quantity_rules":"no","combine_variations":"no","exclude_global_add_ons":[],"addons":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product\/10107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_brand&post=10107"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_cat&post=10107"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_tag&post=10107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}