It is edible; sea urchins have very weak vitality and are not easy to survive after going to sea. They need to be processed to keep them fresh; they are mostly concentrated on the rocky seabed or sandy seabed in the coastal zone, or there are widespread The distribution of sea urchins, or limited to specific sea areas, varies from species to species;

Sea urchins are the earliest model organisms used in the history of biological sciences, and their eggs and embryos play a decisive role in the development of early developmental biology. , one of the longest-lived marine creatures on earth.

Extended information

Main value

Nutrition

Sea urchins provide food with their gonads, which are also called sea urchin eggs, sea urchin seeds, Sea urchin yellow and sea urchin paste are orange-yellow in color and delicious in taste, accounting for 8%-15% of the total weight of sea urchins. The eicosenoic acid contained in its gonads accounts for more than 30% of the total fatty acids, which can prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Sea urchin is not only a fine seafood delicacy, but also a valuable Chinese medicinal material. The main nutrients of sea urchin eggs are lecithin, protein, riboflavin, thiamine, fatty acids, etc.

At the same time, sea urchin shells can also be made into handicrafts. Some manufacturers have also developed sea urchin food and made sea urchins into chilled sea urchin, alcoholic sea urchin and sea urchin sauce. In addition, sea urchin extract bonelinin can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Purchase

Sea urchin is not like clams. You can tell whether it is fresh or not just by tapping its shell. The main way to select sea urchins is to look and feel them.

1. Look: Observe carefully. The spines all over the body of a fresh sea urchin can move. The greater the movement, the better the freshness.

2. Touch: Generally, vendors selling sea urchins in the market will prepare a small screwdriver. Use the tip of a screwdriver to gently touch the sea urchin's mouth (the mouth is located in the center of the sea urchin's abdomen). When the live sea urchin is stimulated, the mouth will quickly shrink.

Life habits

It is naturally timid and will run away as soon as it sees an enemy, but sea urchins cannot move very quickly. Sea urchins mostly live on the bottom of the sea. They like to inhabit reef forests or rock crevices below the intertidal zone with abundant seaweed, as well as hard sandy and muddy shallow sea areas. They have the characteristics of avoiding light and emerging at night.

Sea urchins will move as they eat: if food is abundant, they can move more than 1 meter per day; if food is scarce, sea urchins may only move 10 centimeters per day. The movement of sea urchins is carried out by transparent, small, numerous and sticky tube feet and spines.

When the tube feet are moving, they are similar to starfish and can grasp rocks, while the spines at the bottom lift the sea urchin's body to help the sea urchin move at will. When they move, they can use the direction of the walking belt as a guide at any time without turning their heads. When a sea urchin is turned over, its spines and tube feet can turn it right.

Sea urchins eat a wide range of foods. The carnivorous ones feed on worms, molluscs or other echinoderms on the seabed, while the herbivorous ones feed mainly on algae. In addition, some feed on organic debris, animal _The body feeds on sea urchins, etc.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Sea Urchin