Sea Urchins
Sea urchins are marine invertebrates with a hard, spiny shell, which live on the seabed in all the world’s oceans. They play an important role in the environment as detritus feeders - breaking down organic matter, thus releasing nutrients for other organisms to use. Their shells are also a valuable source of natural materials, such as providing a raw material for paints, dyes, and fertilizers. In addition, sea urchins are a delicacy in some parts of the world and their roe is a popular sushi ingredient. They provide an ideal research organism for studies in developmental and evolutionary biology due to the large amount of attention they have received regarding the development of their unique multi-armed bodies.
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