Blue Tuxedo urchin

[Afaylenerich88]

It's been about 2 weeks. I picked up this tuxedo urchin at LFS. The whole time he has been in my tank he carrys around a small snail shell. He never drops it. And I attempted to take it from him. He immediately extended all his feelers towards my finger as if he was trying to stop me. So I left it alone.

I observed his behavior in curiosity as I'm not sure if this is normal. And it seems as if he uses the shell to catch particles of food in the Water column. Not sure if it's exactly that but he always keeps the shell turned towards flow. And I always see his little fingers in the shell.

Fasanating nonetheless.

 

[Dorinda]

It's normal for them to pick up stuff and carry it around. They are camouflaging themselves.

 

[Biglew11]

They will carry around anything that isn't attached. If they are not carrying something around then something is usually wrong

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Ok this is freaking cool. Tuxedo urchins always catch my eye. Sounds like they wouldn't be great if everything isn't secured down though. Would hate for one to pick up a frag and walk around with it

 

[Afaylenerich88]

Hasent done that yet. But he did remove a peice of xenia from a frag plug lol apparently his den behind a rock and has collected shells and that xenia he took from the frag plug don't know how he got it off intact with no skin of the coral left on plug, So I guess I'll just let nature be lol. But he dosent put that small shell in the den just continues to carry it around.