Not furry either, still lovely.
Tuxedo Urchin
Mespilia globulus
Also called Globular sea urchin, Sphere sea urchin, Blue tuxedo urchin
From Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean, including the southwest Pacific and Japan; lives on shallow reefs, coral rubble and seagrass beds from 0 to 200 m.1
At a glance the quick version
Maximum body diameter: 5 cm (Wikipedia) to about 3 inches (LiveAquaria); spines up to 2 cm long.
Looks how to spot one
Round spiny shell (test)
A small, ball-shaped urchin with short dark spines arranged in rows, separated by ten bare vertical bands of velvety blue or green skin that give it its 'tuxedo' look.12
Personality what they are like
A shy, gentle grazer that hides in crevices by day and comes out at night to feed. It often carries bits of shell, rubble or algae on its spines as a disguise.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Nocturnal; slowly roams rockwork and glass at night grazing algae.12
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Keep water quality stable with low nitrate and avoid copper-based treatments. If algae runs low, offer dried seaweed.2
Home where they are happiest
A marine tank of at least 20 gallons (about 75 litres) with rockwork and hiding places. Stable, fully marine water at about 22-26 C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity (specific gravity) 1.023-1.025 and dKH 8-12.2
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A herbivore that grazes algae and organic film on rocks and the bottom; supplement with dried seaweed when needed.12
Company who they like around
Usually kept singly, but several can share a large tank with plenty of algae and shelter. Harmless to fish and corals.21
The story where it all began
Desor described the species in 1846. Its neat blue bands and easy-going nature have made it a popular reef aquarium urchin, and most specimens in the trade are still collected from the wild.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It decorates itself by sticking bits of debris onto its spines, likely for camouflage and shade.1
- 2
Its grazing has been linked to better coral survival and growth on reefs.1
- 3
It has ten vertical bands with no spines, showing off velvety blue or green skin.1
- 4
In the wild it breeds between July and September and broods its young.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Described by Desor in L. Agassiz and Desor, 1846 (family Temnopleuridae).1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Tuxedo Urchin. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingDepends on species, many feed from the light and the watervaries
- Salinity checkevery week
- Water testevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Light checkevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Mespilia globulus (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, depth, size, appearance, behaviour, diet, breeding, history, fun facts
- Tuxedo Urchin (LiveAquaria) liveaquaria.comused for size, colours, tank size, water parameters, care, social needs
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.