Artificial Reef Field Guide: Mesocentrotus franciscanus
| Common Name | Red Urchin |
| Code(s) | STFA, STFR |
| Id Number | 737 |
| Taxa | Invertebrate |
| Mobility | Mobile |
| Colonial / Solitary | Solitary |
| Typical Substrate Type | Hard |
Species Description
Typically larger than Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (STPA), reaching sizes to 25 cm or more in diameter. Red, red-brown or dark purple spines. Formerly of the genus Stronglyocentrotus.
Species Habitat
Key player in kelp forest dynamics due to its preference for Macrocystis. Red urchins are collected commercially on the Pacific Coast of the U.S. for their roe.
Species Range
Low intertidal to 90 m; Japan and Alaska to Baja California, Mexico.