Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
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| Purple Sea Urchin | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson, 1857) |
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, or the purple sea urchin, is one of the sharp-spined sea urchin species. The spines are used as a means of defense against would-be predators. This urchin is deep purple in color, and grows to a diameter of about 4 inches. The are found along the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada where they cling to depressions in the rocks during low tide.
The genetic code of the male Californian purple sea urchin includes 23,300 genes ( a total of 814 million letters of DNA). The DNA map show that urchins have a sophisticated immune system, and carry genes associated with taste and smell, hearing and balance.
The purple sea urchin and humans share a total of 7,077 genomes, which makes these spineless species genetically closer to man than the fruit fly or worm. Urchins carry genes associated with many human diseases, such as muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease[1].
A study of the purple sea urchin by Caltech's Kerckhoff Marine Biological Laboratory (KML) revealed that urchins have developed light sensors - a primitive form of vision. Scientists found genes associated with vision activated in the urchin’s tube feet, puny projections on the animal’s shell that help urchins move and feed[2].
