Admin Meerwasser-Lexikon
Info
Diadema mexicanum is a long spined sea urchin from the family Diadematidae, it has extremely long, hollow spines that grow up to 8cm long
This starfish is also a prolific algae eater, it is known to feed on a wide variety of algae species.
If starfish are kept in a saltwater aquarium then in case of any illness in the tank, never administer any medication as the urchins will not tolerate it.
If something is wrong, the urchins will gradually shed their spines.
However, when the animals recover, the spines will grow back.
In the literature there are always hints that starfish of the genus Diadema have a mild poison, this has been proven at least for the Diadema sea urchin (Diadema setosum).
The starfish themselves are not able to produce toxins, they absorb toxins through their food.
These mild toxins of is not lethal to humans. The toxin usually causes swelling and can be very painful and cause inflammation.
The change in color of the starfish throughout the day is interesting:
During the day, the coloration of adult Diadema mexicanum is black with blue vertical lines, but at night the color turns gray.
Juveniles have banded spines.
As with all echinoderms (sea stars, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars), acclimation should be very slow over at least 4 hours.
Do not take the animals out of the water, even for a short time, air ingested by the animal can be fatal.
Synonyme:
Centrechinus mexicanus (A. Agassiz, 1863)
Diadema mexicana A. Agassiz, 1863
This starfish is also a prolific algae eater, it is known to feed on a wide variety of algae species.
If starfish are kept in a saltwater aquarium then in case of any illness in the tank, never administer any medication as the urchins will not tolerate it.
If something is wrong, the urchins will gradually shed their spines.
However, when the animals recover, the spines will grow back.
In the literature there are always hints that starfish of the genus Diadema have a mild poison, this has been proven at least for the Diadema sea urchin (Diadema setosum).
The starfish themselves are not able to produce toxins, they absorb toxins through their food.
These mild toxins of is not lethal to humans. The toxin usually causes swelling and can be very painful and cause inflammation.
The change in color of the starfish throughout the day is interesting:
During the day, the coloration of adult Diadema mexicanum is black with blue vertical lines, but at night the color turns gray.
Juveniles have banded spines.
As with all echinoderms (sea stars, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars), acclimation should be very slow over at least 4 hours.
Do not take the animals out of the water, even for a short time, air ingested by the animal can be fatal.
Synonyme:
Centrechinus mexicanus (A. Agassiz, 1863)
Diadema mexicana A. Agassiz, 1863
