Jellyfish, corals, polyps. Sea urchins - all the fun

Sea urchin. The seas and oceans are inhabited from the very surface to the deepest depressions, and everywhere you can see how animals are most amazingly adapted to different conditions and forms of existence. Life exists in the dark, cold depths of the ocean, and in the upper warm water layer, and in the crevices of coral reefs, and under the thick ice of the Arctic, and along the coast of Antarctica.

But the plants are not at all the ones we are used to seeing on land. The bulk of animals in the ocean are a variety of protozoa: sponges, sea urchins, etc. Today we will talk about sea urchins, whose needles are the same prickly as those of the land ones that are familiar to us. These animals appeared on Earth 500 million years ago. To date, about 950 species of echinoderms are known. Usually sea ​​urchins They have the shape of a flattened ball, but can also have the shape of an egg, a bottle, or even a heart. The body is covered with needles of the most various forms– smooth, ribbed, with spines, processes up to 30 cm long. Sea urchins need needles not only for protection, but also for movement. With their help, animals can reach speeds of up to 2 m/sec.

Among sea ​​urchins there is also poisonous species. With the injection of their needles, poison enters the animal’s bloodstream, so strong that it can cause paralysis. Japanese fishermen call such sea urchins killers.

Skeleton shell sea ​​urchin consists of 20 flattened and fused plates. The mouth opening contains 25 partitions and plates, which are called the “Aristotelian lantern”. This is the chewing organ sea ​​urchin. It feeds on algae, but on occasion it will not disdain food of animal origin.

Great danger to scuba divers sea ​​urchins, whose body often has a spherical shape. At one of the poles this ball is somewhat wrinkled - this is the oral side of the animal. The mouth opening is located here and echinoderms crawl along the bottom with this same side. The skeleton of sea urchins is more developed than that of other echinoderms. Only a small space remains soft near the mouth and around the anus, which is located on the dorsal side of the body. The surface of the skeletal plates is covered with numerous tubercles to which spines are attached.

Sea urchin spines- these are cylindrical dense calcareous sticks, movably intertwined with a skeleton-shell, which allows them to easily rotate in all directions. The needles perform not only a protective function, but sometimes also take part in the movement of the animal. The needles of some hedgehogs reach a length of up to 30 cm. Among the ordinary needles there are needles similar to tweezers, which are grasping organs. These modified tweezer needles are called. With their help, the sea urchin cleans its “suit”. Some tweezers play a protective role as they contain poisonous glands. The poison they secrete is quite strong. Converted into tweezers, the needles are somewhat shorter than usual, therefore, when protecting, ordinary needles are retracted in different directions, opening the poisonous devices and giving them the opportunity to act.

In some species of tropical sea urchins, some of the regular spines are also poisonous, since they also have a gland at the free end. About 80 species of marine echinoderms pose a danger to humans.

Scientists have differing opinions about whether the same animal has tweezer needles and ordinary needles. So, according to Halstead, one type of needle has either one or the other. Moreover, the scientist believes that although they write about the toxicity of ordinary needles in sea urchins, this has not been experimentally proven.

Among sea urchins the most numerous black sea urchins with long needles. They are common from East Africa to Polynesia, China, Japan. Similar species are found in the West Indies, near the Hawaiian Islands. Round sea urchin lives in waters from East Africa to Japan, Japanese sea urchin- in the waters of Japan, i.e., the habitat of sea urchins covers the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The most dangerous and frequently encountered are the round sea urchin and the long-spined black sea urchin. Some sea urchins, particularly the long-spined black sea urchin, are quite beautiful in coloration. The needles of these animals are very sensitive. The sea urchin reacts quickly to the slightest change in conditions environment, and its needles are immediately directed towards the stimulus, which may be an unexpected strong movement of water caused by something or the shadow of a person accidentally falling on the animal.

Modified needle-tweezers consist of two wings - parts. When defending against enemies, these doors open and then slam shut on the victim’s body. Their ends easily pierce the skin, introducing poison. Through the holes in the valve, a toxic liquid with a whitish color is released.

The injection sites, where the ends of the poisonous needles of the sea urchin hit, begin to itch, a strong burning sensation appears, the skin turns red, swells, and hurts. Loss of sensitivity may occur, even to muscle paralysis. Injections with pincer needles (pedicellariae) are more difficult to tolerate. According to a number of researchers, the toxins secreted by their glands act in a targeted manner, affecting nervous system. Besides paralysis motor muscles, respiratory distress may occur, which is very dangerous when working underwater.

In the most severe cases, the person dies. There are known cases of people dying under water when, after being poisoned by sea urchins, they were unable to rise to the surface. In less severe cases of intoxication, pain decreases after about 15 to 20 minutes, and after three to four days other symptoms of poisoning disappear. True, after the pain disappears, symptoms of paralysis still persist (for 6 hours, and sometimes longer).

If sea urchins are affected by poison, measures must be taken to reduce the absorption of the poison. It is necessary to sharply limit the victim’s mobility, quickly remove needle fragments from the wounds and transport the victim to the hospital.

Sea urchins are bottom inhabitants of coastal waters. They have no desire to attack unwary swimmers, but they can easily get under their feet. Sea urchin prick very unpleasant, and the first thing someone who is overly admired will feel sea ​​beauties tourist - this is a sharp pain and burning sensation. After this, the injection site turns red and swells. All because sea ​​urchin needle– a kind of disposable syringe containing a toxin.

After an injection, the needles of a sea urchin get stuck in the tissue in much the same way as a wasp or bee sting. It’s just that it’s very difficult to get it, and this must be done. This needle is “made” of a fragile organosilicon compound; it is hollow inside and covered in small barbs on the outside. When you try to remove it, it breaks and crumbles. Again it is worth noting that sea ​​urchin does not set out to cause you as much trouble as possible. He needs to prick the offender and lose only one needle out of a thousand, leaving himself intact.

Sea urchin danger double The poison that is injected into the tissue is not capable of killing a person; there is too little of it and it is designed for other organisms. But this substance can cause anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reaction) - fatal dangerous situation. The needle itself “works” like an ordinary splinter, causing purulent inflammation. If there are no signs of suffocation or a sharp deterioration in health, then you can try to remove the remains of the needle yourself. But it is not a fact that after this operation you will not have suppuration and will not need to visit a doctor.

First aid for contact with a sea urchin

So, what to do if you step on a sea urchin? First of all, make sure that this is really a hedgehog - a spherical animal (may be flattened), completely covered with rather long spines. This must be done, since there are many types of poisonous organisms in tropical waters, each poison has its own effect and first aid measures may be different.

In any case, feeling sea ​​urchin bite, quickly get out of the water. For some people, toxins from marine organisms have a very strong effect, and loss of consciousness leads to drowning even in shallow water. The sea urchin's igloo is visible. If it has dug into the joint area or has gone very deep, then do nothing at all, immediately contact a surgeon.

Method 1

If it is clear that the sea urchin needle is under the skin and has not penetrated the muscles, then try the following steps right on the beach:

1. Pour any alcohol solution over the bite site for disinfection (even perfume will do).
2. Remember that the organosilicon compounds that make up the sea urchin's needle are dissolved by acid. Find a large lemon, table vinegar (5-7%) and pour a weak acid solution over the injection site.
3. Crush the needle by hitting a small pebble (must be clean).
4. Treat the wound with antiseptic ointment.

Method 2

If your mood is completely ruined and you decide to return home, then you can take more drastic actions there:

1. Treat the wound with an alcohol solution.
2. Pour a weak acid (lemon, table vinegar) over the injection site.
3. Steam the injection site hot water. Do not overdo it with the temperature, so as not to aggravate the injury from meeting the sea life with a burn.
4. Treat the affected area with antiseptic ointment.

If there is nowhere and nothing to steam the injection site, then you can use something heated to 40 0 ​​Celsius vegetable oil, which should be moistened with a cloth and applied to the affected area. Again, you need to be very careful with the temperature and not make the situation worse. The oil compress should be kept for at least half an hour, better time. After this, the sea urchin needles are very carefully squeezed out like splinters. You must act so that they do not crumble. Making sure everything is foreign bodies removed from under the skin, wash the treatment area warm water and lubricate with antiseptic.

If one of your relatives or friends stepped on a sea urchin, then don’t lose your composure, and especially don’t try to punish “harmful” animals. In this case, you risk getting your share of needles under the skin.

If you feel like you did everything correctly and the needles were removed, but the pain does not go away, suppuration appears or an allergic reaction occurs, then do not waste time, consult a doctor.

Video: how to properly remove sea urchin spines

Sea urchin (Echinoidea) – unique in its own way appearance animal that lives in the depths of salty waters Pacific Ocean. Most of the species, despite their terrifying “prickly” appearance, are absolutely safe for humans. Some can even be picked up without fear of getting hurt by a sharp needle, while others have such small spines that they seem velvety to the touch. But there are also poisonous representatives of these sea ​​creatures. It is a useful object from a culinary and medicinal point of view, and is also popular for cosmetic purposes. Sea urchin caviar is considered especially useful and valuable.

Description and habitat

Sea urchins have a round body, reaching up to 30 cm in size. On top it is covered with a calcareous shell, or shell, which allows you to change the shape of the body. According to their structure, sea urchins are divided into regular and irregular. Regular ones have an almost perfectly round body and pentaradial symmetry, while irregular ones have a flatter body, with distinguishable anterior and posterior ends.

Needles of varying lengths are movably connected to the shell of a sea urchin, which makes it look like land relative, or porcupine. They can reach up to 30 cm in length, depending on the species. Quills mainly serve for protection, locomotion and feeding. Also on the surface of the shell of hedgehogs are pedicellaria and special organs needed for balance - spheridia.

Some species are equipped with poisonous glands, and a meeting with such representatives can end in disaster. They live mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.

The sea urchin's mouth is located in the upper part of the body. It has a special chewing apparatus that allows it to scrape algae from stones and also serves as a support for the animal’s movement. This structure is typical for regular sea urchins, but irregular sea urchins, which feed on detritus, do not have such an apparatus.

The intestine is a spiral tube that runs inside the body. For breathing, the hedgehog uses external gills, the ambulacral system and the accessory gut. The organs of touch and smell are poorly developed. In addition to the spheridia and ambulacral legs, the hedgehog has small eyes on the upper side of the body.

Sea urchins are widespread in fairly salty seas and oceans. They live at a depth of approximately 7 km. You can often meet their representatives on coral reefs and shallows, as well as in coastal zone. They settle in rocks and deep crevices, digging holes for themselves even in hard granite. Irregular hedgehogs prefer soft sandy soil, into which they also successfully burrow. You will not find sea urchins in the slightly salty waters of the Black, Caspian and Baltic seas.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Sea urchins are mostly omnivores. They feed on algae, a variety of marine organisms, shellfish, starfish, and even eat their own kind. Those species that settle in sandy burrows can swallow sand and eat small organisms that get caught with it.

The sea urchin's worst enemy is the sea otter, a predatory sea otter. He is so keen on eating these animals that even their bones are stained with purple hedgehog pigments. This otter either smashes the hedgehog with stones, or first twirls it in its paws for a long time, wrapping it in seaweed to crush the needles, and then digs into it with its teeth. Also unsafe for hedgehogs are lobsters, starfish, fish, birds and fur seals.

Hedgehogs are dioecious animals that reproduce by laying eggs in shallow water or coastal rocks.

The average lifespan of sea urchins is approximately 15 years. There are legends telling about the immortality of hedgehogs, according to which older individuals did not experience any changes or signs of aging.

Composition and beneficial properties

Sea urchin is valued for its rich vitamin and mineral composition. They feed on healthy seaweed, thereby accumulating all the good substances in themselves, which extend to its eggs.

Sea urchin caviar and meat contain useful minerals such as:

Present in large quantities, ( , and others). It is a huge source of fatty acids and, as well as essential and non-essential amino acids (,).

The product is about 86 kcal per 100 grams. The content is approximately 13.8 grams, the share is 4.3 grams, and the share is 2.5 grams.

Regular consumption of sea urchin meat and caviar will bring invaluable benefits to the human body. The lecithin included in their composition has positive influence on the functioning of the liver and brain, helps get rid of harmful and dangerous toxins, waste, and reduces the level of. And the omega fatty acids they contain will charge you with energy and vigor, help cope with depression, and restore cheerfulness and optimism. High iodine content promotes stable work endocrine system and are disease prevention thyroid gland. Sea urchin caviar has the ability to remove toxins, radionuclides and harmful substances from the body, and helps restore the body after chemotherapy and radiation sickness. This product was quite often included in the Japanese diet after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Application in medicine

The healing properties of sea urchins have been noticed and appreciated for quite some time. These products contain so many useful substances, vitamins and minerals that they are often used to treat and prevent various diseases. Research by scientists in the field oncological diseases showed that some substances contained in sea urchin eggs can infect cancer cells. At the same time, healthy cells undergo a kind of cleaning.

Regular consumption of meat and caviar from these animals contributes to:

• normalization of blood pressure;
• increasing potency;
• removal of harmful substances, radionuclides and toxins from the body;
• boosting immunity and improving protective function body;
• improving thyroid function and sexual function;
• normalization of the cardiovascular system;
• restoration of the body after radiation and chemotherapy;
• prevention of gastritis, ulcers, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Russian scientists from the space research center have developed special tablets based on the medicinal properties of sea urchin, used for extreme physical activity. These tablets help astronauts avoid physical and nervous exhaustion during space flights.

Nutritionists from the Primorsky Territory have created a strong tincture based on sea urchin caviar. This invention is widely used in medicine as a homeopathic tonic. The medicine helps increase sexual desire, improves immunity and increases protective properties body. Tincture can help avoid alcohol intoxication body. To do this, you need to take it before and after drinking alcohol.

Sea urchin caviar tincture recipe

The preparation of this tincture is extremely simple. You just need to sort the caviar, rinse it well with warm sea ​​water and pour in a heated alcohol solution with a strength of up to 70% in a ratio of 1:25. The resulting product is left to infuse in a dark place for 4 days at room temperature. Then the solution is filtered and settled. Everything in this tincture beneficial features the caviar is preserved, and the healing drink acquires it in full.

Use in cooking

Sea urchin meat and caviar are used to prepare sushi, salads, and other cold dishes. They are often eaten fresh. If the caviar is bitter, you can add a few drops to it lemon juice or soy sauce. In European cuisine, caviar undergoes heat treatment: it is fried and baked. With its help you can prepare:

• Italian pasta or spaghetti;
• pates;
• various sauces;
• spices.

In Italy, sea urchins are also served with dessert dishes. Granite ice cream, which is made from fruit juice mixed with alcohol, is in great demand. Often used for this purpose, which goes well with the meat of these sea creatures.

How to select and store

When choosing a delicacy, you need to pay attention to the color, smell and appearance of the product. The needles should not stick out in different directions, but rather lie close to the body. The color of the caviar should be orange and not have an unpleasant odor.

It is best to store caviar in canned form. It is better not to store fresh product, but to eat it immediately. Since in the refrigerator or when frozen, the product loses its beneficial properties, acquires a bitter taste, loses elasticity and quality.

Use in cosmetology

It is with the consumption of meat, and especially caviar, that sea urchins are associated longer duration life of the Japanese. Japan has a national holiday that occurs once a year. On this day, you must buy a sea urchin and, having opened its shell, drink the liquid it contains and eat a piece of caviar. This ritual allows you to completely rejuvenate and refresh the body.

Sea urchin meat and caviar are considered the elixir of youth and beauty. Saffron, noni, sea cucumber, beebread and yarsagumba also have properties similar to it in action.

The immune system of these marine representatives contributes to its longevity and immortality. He can live up to 200 years without aging or losing the ability to procreate. Recently, American scientists found that its DNA is 70% identical to human DNA. Therefore, the use of this product gives the opportunity to rejuvenate the body, increase physical and mental abilities.

Harm and dangerous properties of sea urchins

The thin and sharp needles of hedgehogs pose a danger to humans. If you step on it, you can be seriously injured, since the needles usually break, leaving only small tips in the foot. And some of the hedgehogs are highly poisonous. Such species, once in the human body, cause negative impact on the nervous system, paralysis, slow down the heart and make breathing difficult.

The victim must immediately provide first aid by removing the needle elements and pedicillaria, and treating the stung area with an antiseptic solution. It is also recommended to keep the affected area as hot as a person can withstand, since it is believed that the poison disintegrates under thermal influence. It is advisable to take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible, where he will be under constant supervision.

But even without poison, getting a needle under the skin is fraught unpleasant consequences. Since, for the most part, bacteria located at the ends of needles cause suppuration of the wound.

conclusions

Sea urchin is considered a delicious delicacy in Japan and some eastern countries. Useful and medicinal properties due to the fact that in his daily diet includes algae, which nourish its meat and caviar with an exceptional composition of minerals, vitamins and other substances necessary for the human body. On its basis, medical preparations are prepared, used as a source of youth and beauty in cosmetology, refined dishes are prepared, but most of all they like to eat it raw. In Japan, they believe that precisely this use of this product can prolong life and improve well-being. Recent research by scientists has proven the exceptional benefits of sea urchins in the fight against cancer cells. Daily consumption of their meat or caviar can restore the body after radiation therapy or chemotherapy and remove dangerous toxins, wastes and radionuclides. There are no contraindications against eating sea urchins, except for individual intolerance or allergic reactions for fish and seafood.

The depths of the sea and ocean are home to many beautiful and interesting animals. One of the most mysterious representatives of the deep ichthyofauna is the sea urchin. Man knows more than 900 species of these echinoderm creatures, which can differ not only in appearance, but also in their way of life.

Today, science knows more than 900 species of sea urchins.

Habitats of echinoderms

Sea urchins live only in warm waters with a high level of salinity and are never found in fresh water. The bottom of all oceans is inhabited various types these animals. The most numerous populations live:

• in the Indian Ocean;
• in the Caribbean;
• on east coast Australia, washed by the Pacific Ocean;
• in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands.

Colonies of echinoderms can be found both at shallow depths in the area of ​​underwater rocks and on deep-sea reefs. In shallow sea bays, as a rule, there are “spines” with a spherical body shape.

Flat-bodied species live at deeper depths. These creatures have never been seen in the basins of the Black and Caspian Seas, since the salinity level of the water in these reservoirs is extremely low.

In the Baltic Sea, individual echinoderms are occasionally found. Since some species of sea urchins live at depths of over 6 thousand meters, much about their lifestyle remains a mystery.

Body structure

Most people associate a sea urchin with a creature that has a huge number of sharp spines, which is not entirely true. Some species of these creatures do not have spines at all and pose absolutely no danger to humans. There are species whose body is covered with a mass of small needles, which are not only incapable of injuring a person, but also make the sea creature very pleasant to the touch.

Some species of sea urchins do not have spines at all and pose no danger to humans.

Sea urchins are the oldest animals that appeared on earth more than 500 million years ago. Their closest relatives include no less ancient creatures - sea ​​stars. Sea urchins can be roughly divided into 2 large groups - regular and irregular. These groups include 4 more superorders, consisting of 9 orders. This diversity of classification suggests that the World Ocean is inhabited by great multitude various types sea ​​urchins, differing in a number of characteristics:

• body shape;
• the structure of the body;
• color;
• way of life.

Unlike the starfish, the hedgehog has no prominent rays on its body, and the animal itself has the shape of a flat disk or ball. Not to the group the right hedgehogs These include creatures that are egg- or heart-shaped. Since the animal's body is enclosed in durable shell, consisting of several plates, its shape remains unchanged throughout life.

The closest relatives of sea urchins include starfish.

The structure of the shell is always the same. It consists of plates located along the meridians of the body. The mouth opening is located on the abdomen and always faces the bottom. WITH opposite side the anus is located. Near the mouth opening there are external gills and spheridia - organs responsible for balance.

In the depths of the mouth there is a chewing apparatus, consisting of several plates connected by muscles. The basis of the oral apparatus is 5 paired pyramids in which the teeth are located. Using its teeth, the animal scrapes algae from hard surfaces and captures a variety of food.

From the mouth to the anus there are ambulacral plates, each of which has several paired holes. The legs pass through these holes.

The number of tiny legs on the body of one animal can be in the hundreds. Without exaggeration, we can say that sea urchins are the most multi-legged creatures on earth.

Appearance

The legs are very elastic; they can stretch and contract. At their ends there are suction cups, thanks to which the hedgehog can move not only in the horizontal plane, but also climb sheer cliffs. Suction cups help to securely attach to the bottom soil and obtain food even in places of strong surf.

Each of the rows of ambulacral plates ends with a small orbital plate on which the eye is located. Thus, it turns out that the organs of vision of these creatures are located throughout the body.

On the surface of the shell there are numerous tubercles to which needles are attached. Thanks to the movable muscle joint, the hedgehog can turn its spines in different directions. Needles can vary in shape and length and have different textures:

• smooth;
• ribbed;
• with spines and shoots.

On the surface of the sea urchin's shell there are numerous tubercles to which spines are attached.

The needles are used not only for protection from potential enemies, but also for moving along the bottom. Among the needles are prehensile organs, which are tiny tweezers attached to the plates using muscle connections. In some species of hedgehogs, the grasping organs are equipped with poisonous heads. Sea urchin venom is highly toxic and even dissolved in water poisonous substance can have a damaging effect on marine life. The main purpose of the poisonous heads is protection from sea predators.

The coloring of sea urchins can include the entire color palette. Some species can change color depending on the color of the soil and lighting.

Nutritional nature

Representatives belonging to the wrong subclass mainly feed on small plankton. The diet of proper hedgehogs is more varied. Proper sea urchins eat:

• a variety of algae;
• ascidians;
• bryozoans;
• sponges;
• various carrion.

Cases of cannibalism are not uncommon among some species of sea urchins.

Large individuals can switch to feeding starfish small size. Cases of cannibalism are not uncommon among some species. The largest representatives of this family, such as Strongylocentrotus, are able to catch and eat a mantis crab. Species that live on sandy soil or other soft substrates swallow bottom soil along with the microscopic organisms living in it. If there is no food in the area of ​​the reservoir where sea urchins live, they can make significant migrations in search of food.

Varieties of underwater urchins

In nature, there are more than 900 species of animals belonging to this class. Some species are quite widely represented, while others are extremely rare. The most common ones include:

• black sea urchin;
• round;
• Japanese;
• slate;
• diadem.

The black sea urchin looks the most menacing, as it has some of the longest spines, which pose a considerable danger to humans. When danger arises, the animal immediately points its weapon to the side probable enemy and behaves very aggressively.

The round type is one of the most common, also having impressive needle sizes that can seriously injure a person. Japanese view lives in the sea with the same name and is a staple dish in Japanese restaurants. Slate - distinguished by a bright red color and triangular shape needles that do not have sharp ends and are therefore completely safe.

The type of tiara represents increased danger for a person, as he likes to settle near Turkish resort beaches. The needles of this species are very fragile, and if a person was careless to step on such a creature, then in the future he will have to undergo a painful procedure to remove the needles that have penetrated the skin.

Sea urchins play an important role in the ecosystem because they are able to absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing its amount in the atmosphere. The entrails of these animals have been used for the manufacture of various medicines since ancient times.