Description: Easily recognized by the numerous long, dark purple to black spines. Sometimes also grayish-white spines are present. The young may have banded spines. Size: Body up to 10 cm. Spines up to 20 cm.
Habitat: Lives on coral reefs, flats, rubble etc. They hide during the day and feed on algae during the night. Depth: ranges from 0 m down to 40 m.
Distribution: Abundant to common all over the Caribbean.
Remarks: The finely barbed spines easily penetrate skin and break off, causing infections and painful wounds.
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Echinodermata Class Echinoidea Genus Diadema Species Diadema antillarum
