Edible sea urchin (Echinus esculentus)

Species information

Videos and images

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Threats

The common and scientific names suggest that this sea urchin is edible (esculentus is the Latin word for 'edible'), yet only the reproductive organs (roe) can be eaten (5). There is a large international market for sea urchin products, particularly the roe (6). Exploitation of sea urchins grew rapidly in many countries, and in many cases over-exploitation and collapse of the sea urchin populations followed (6). There was a sea urchin fishery in Cornwall in the 1980s, and the potential of a fishery in Shetland has been investigated (2). The edible sea urchin has also been collected commercially for the curio trade (2).