| Arbacia | |
|---|---|
| Arbacia lixula | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Order: | Arbacioida |
| Family: | Arbaciidae |
| Genus: | Arbacia |
Arbacia is a genus of sea urchins. Arbacia by Dave Grant "Sometimes you see queer things...spiny sea urchins, for instance…in a slow motion parade. In the magic of the night the wooden soldiers have come to life, though it is a stiff, hardly perceptible life." (Marston Bates - The Forest and the Sea)
Sea urchins are an ancient and diverse group of invertebrates that, with the noteworthy exception of Sandy Hook Bay (NJ), have filled many niches in the world's oceans. There are about 800 species worldwide; interestingly, more than appear in their long fossil record.
This link is to an article about sea urchins in the NY Harbor area:[1]