Red sea urchin
| Red sea urchin | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Echinoidea |
| Order: | Camarodonta |
| Family: | Strongylocentrotidae |
| Genus: | Mesocentrotus |
| Species: | M. franciscanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mesocentrotus franciscanus (Aggasiz, 1863) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) is a sea urchin found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. It lives in shallow waters from the low-tide line to greater than 280 m (920 ft) deep, and is typically found on rocky shores sheltered from extreme wave action in areas where kelp is available.