S. granularis is a large sea urchin, somewhat flattened dorsally and growing to fifteen centimetres in diameter. … See more

S. granularis is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Channel Islands south to Cape Verde and the Gulf of Guinea. It favours sheltered locations and lives on rocks covered with seaweed or … See more

S. granularis often covers itself with morsels of algae and shell fragments, which are held in place by the tube feet and by the claw-like structures known as pedicellaria. It grazes on algae, especially encrusting … See more

In Tunisia, S. granularis is found living in association with two other species of sea urchins, Centrostephanus longispinus and Paracentrotus lividus. It is preyed upon by the starfish Marthasterias glacialis and Luidia ciliaris… See more

The gonads of S. granularis are considered a delicacy in Italy, Provence and Catalonia. See more

• Photos of Sphaerechinus granularis on Sealife Collection See more