The brightly coloured spines of this fire urchin (Astropyga radiata: diameter 20 cms.) are composed of numerous sacs, each of which contains powerful toxins. The animal's striking appearance represents a warning that any attempt to molest it will result in very painful - and possibly lethal - stings. Feeding on algae and seaweed, it moves by means of hundreds of hydraulically-operated tube feet. It can also use its longer plain brown spines as stilts to climb over rocks and small objects. The yellow organism at the right of the picture is a sponge. Photographed near Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia.

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Size: 3840px × 2742px
Location: Near Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Photo credit: © Terence Dormer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: adventure, animal, astropyga, bali, coral, creation, dangerous, diving, fire, indonesia, lethal, life, marine, natural, painful, potentially, radiata, reef, scuba, selection, spines, stings, toxic, trd5143, tulamben, underwater, urchin