Phyllacanthus parvispinus
Tenison-Woods 1880

eastern slate-pencil urchin

 

The Eastern Slate-Pencil urchin, Phyllacanthas parvispinus, is common at Julian Rocks.
It has thick spines and during the day it is usually seen wedged into crevices. At night it feeds on encrusting organisms.
The yellow coils on the spines of this urchin are the arms of a serpent star.