TankBud

Tuxedo urchin

Mespilia globulus

Also known as Sphere Urchin, Blue Tuxedo Urchin, Globe Urchin

SaltwaterInvertebrate

Tuxedo urchin (Mespilia globulus)
Ishtaure Dawn · CC BY-SA 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Temnopleuridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, common on rubble and reef flats from the Red Sea and East Africa through Indonesia and the western Pacific

Overview

The tuxedo urchin is a peaceful, bottom-dwelling algae grazer for a mature saltwater tank. It is easy to care for.

Did you know

The tuxedo urchin routinely piles shells, rubble and stray coral frags onto its top as camouflage. Keepers often find their loose frags rearranged around the tank.

Caring for the tuxedo urchin

Keep one tuxedo urchin per tank, since it needs a lot of grazing surface. Give it a mature tank of at least 20 gal (75 L) with a steady supply of algae to graze. It wanders the rockwork and glass day and night, mowing algae as it goes.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Acclimate it slowly by drip, because urchins react badly to sudden shifts in salinity, pH or temperature. It is highly sensitive to copper-based medications and elevated nitrate. Spine loss is an early sign of poor water quality or a stalled acclimation.

Add dried seaweed if the film algae runs low. The tuxedo urchin is peaceful and reef safe with caution.

Good to know

Mespilia globulus is a regular urchin in the family Temnopleuridae. Five broad bands of tightly packed short spines, usually blue or black, separate its five bare test zones. Like other echinoids, it moves on tube feet and grazes with a five-toothed Aristotle's lantern.

In the wild

The tuxedo urchin is found across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa through Indonesia and the western Pacific. It is common on shallow reef flats and rubble zones, where it grazes film algae off rock and hard surfaces.

Common questions

What size tank does a tuxedo urchin need?

A tuxedo urchin needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a tuxedo urchin need?

A tuxedo urchin is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a tuxedo urchin eat?

A tuxedo urchin eats algae, mowing it from the rockwork and glass day and night. Add dried seaweed when the film algae runs low.

How big does a tuxedo urchin get?

An adult tuxedo urchin reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Related species