{"id":11187,"date":"2026-02-17T22:40:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T22:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/product\/purple-stripe-sea-urchin-asthenosoma-varium\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T22:40:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T22:40:49","slug":"purple-stripe-sea-urchin-asthenosoma-varium","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/?product=purple-stripe-sea-urchin-asthenosoma-varium","title":{"rendered":"Purple Stripe Sea Urchin Asthenosoma Varium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purple Stripe Sea Urchin \u2013 Asthenosoma varium<\/em><\/h3>\n

(Common name: Fire Urchin)<\/em><\/p>\n

Overview:<\/strong>
The Purple Stripe (Fire) Urchin<\/strong> is one of the most striking but also dangerous urchins<\/strong> in the aquarium trade. It has a rounded body covered with vibrant red, orange, and purple spines<\/strong> arranged in radiating stripes. Unlike most common urchins, its spines are venomous<\/strong>, capable of causing very painful stings. Because of this, it is best suited only for advanced aquarists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Origin:<\/strong>
Found across the Indo-Pacific region<\/strong>, particularly around reefs, lagoons, and sandy bottoms.<\/p>\n

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

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    Omnivorous grazer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Eats algae, detritus, and sometimes sessile invertebrates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    In captivity, can be offered nori (dried seaweed), spirulina, and small meaty foods<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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

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      Reef caution:<\/strong> May harm corals and sessile invertebrates while grazing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Must not be housed with fish or invertebrates that nip at spines.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Safe with most peaceful reef fish if left undisturbed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      Aggression Level:<\/strong>
      Peaceful<\/strong>, but extremely dangerous to humans<\/strong> if handled\u2014spines contain venom and can inflict a painful sting.<\/p>\n

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      Experience Level:<\/strong>
      Advanced.<\/strong> Requires careful handling (preferably none at all) and a mature, well-fed tank.<\/p>\n

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

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        Temperature: 74\u201380\u00b0F (23\u201327\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: 75+ gallons<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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

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          Brilliant red\/orange body with purple bands\/stripes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Venomous spines capable of painful stings<\/strong> that can cause swelling and numbness.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Unlike many urchins, it has pedicellariae (tiny pincer-like structures)<\/strong> between spines that can also inject venom.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Sometimes symbiotic with small shrimps or crabs that hide among its spines for protection.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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          \u2728 The Purple Stripe (Fire) Urchin<\/strong> is spectacular but risky<\/strong>\u2014its stunning colors make it a showpiece, but its venomous spines make it suitable only for expert aquarists<\/strong> who can provide a safe, stable reef system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Purple Stripe Sea Urchin \u2013 Asthenosoma varium (Common name: Fire Urchin) Overview:The Purple Stripe (Fire) Urchin is one of the most striking but also dangerous urchins in the aquarium trade. It has a rounded body covered with vibrant red, orange, and purple spines arranged in radiating stripes. Unlike most common urchins, its spines are venomous, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11186,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[79],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11187","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\/11187","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\/11186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_brand&post=11187"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_cat&post=11187"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aquadistribution.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_tag&post=11187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}