Pencil urchin damage?

[Turkey head]

Woke up today to find the stony part of a coral had been nibbled. The only things that I know of in the tank that could do this is an urchin. Most likely a pencil. I also have a pincushion and a Halloween. I’m going to keep an eye on the corals and if it continues I’ll have to put the urchin in a different tank…

 

[fishguy242]

Yep ,most likely pencil, might want to gel super glue that hole closed... ;) :)

 

[Turkey head]

Thanks. I was wondering if I should do something with the hole

 

[Turkey head]

Hopefully it stops. I love the pencil urchin but I knew when I got it that this may happen. It’s behaved for a long time so we’ll see.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Out of curiosity, what species of pencil urchin do you have, and what do you feed it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks. I was wondering if I should do something with the hole

I have 2 pencils and its been over 2 years and never had this. . . hmmm

 

[Turkey head]

It’s a Eucidaris of some type. It doesn’t accept any foods that I’ve seen. It eats what’s on the rocks.

 

[Turkey head]

I’ve had this one and another that has since died for a long time with corals and this is a recent thing. I believe I have read that pencils have the potential to do this tho and bought it understanding that.

 

[t5Nitro]

Mine has a taste for a certain acro so any time I see it anywhere near the frag rack I move it. Lol

 

[Turkey head]

I have been keeping an eye on it. I haven’t noticed any additional damage or damage on others. The coral still looks healthy though.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It’s a Eucidaris of some type. It doesn’t accept any foods that I’ve seen. It eats what’s on the rocks.

Ah, yeah, I’d expect to keep eating corals then unfortunately:

Looks to be Eucidaris tribuloides:

"its search for food, which can include sponges, corals, bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans, along with detritus and some algae."*

"It feeds primarily on algae and coral but they can feed on small invertebrates as well. "**

*Source:

Section: Urchins: Group: Common Urchins: Species: Eucidaris tribuloides (Mine Urchin, Slate Urchin, Club Urchin, Pencil Urchin)

Marine Aquarium Library: Common Urchins, Order: Cidaroida - Family Cidaridae, Eucidaris tribuloides

www.saltcorner.com

**Source:

Pencil Urchin -

E-1621 PENCIL URCHIN, Eucidaris tribuloides This sluggish, nocturnal sea urchin has thick, wooden like spines. It feeds primarily on algae and coral but they can feed on small invertebrates as well. They are a very hardy species and can range from a light brown to a reddish brown. HABITAT They...

gulfspecimen.org

 

[Turkey head]

I wanted to update. It has left all the corals alone until last night. It are away at the same coral. I put some superglue of the area and removed the urchin from the tank. It’s not to be trusted anymore! Fortunately, I have another small tank set up with no corals.

 

[Aiptaisia anemone]

I think its the rock boring urchin which does eat rocks

 

[tbrown]

Mine ate a dying Acro and several coral skeletons. I put him in the sump to be safe but beyond the possibly-already-dead acro I never saw it touch a live coral, just skeletons.