Needle Sea Urchin
Scientific name: Diadema mexicanum
Marine invertebrates
Venomous
Photo: (c) Carlos Domínguez-Rodríguez, some rights reserved (CC BY)CC-BY licenceSee the original photo
Venomous
Painful; watch for a reaction
Its long, brittle spines easily pierce sandals and wetsuits, cause immediate burning pain, and the tips often break off under the skin. Soak the area in comfortably hot water to ease the pain, and get medical care if the pain is severe, spines remain embedded, or numbness develops.
Seen here
Somebody photographed it here and the identification passed community review.
61 verified records
Sightings whose identification was reviewed by the iNaturalist community.
When it is seen
Recorded year-round
Recorded at this time of year