White stuff coming out of urchin.

[DragonForce]

Today I was looking at my urchin and he was moving quickly across the rock work. Anyways, I saw this white stuff coming out of maybe a dozen or so holes on top of him and releasing it all into the water. I can only guess this is the way that the animal spawn and I should not worry. Animal is very healthy no drooping spines or anything.

I do run 24/7 carbon and I have a remora skimmer so I'm not too worried about toxicity.

Anyone confirm my allegations? Thanks in advanced.

 

[melosu58]

That is what I think also. Good Luck.

 

[Steven Pro]

Was it a mostly milky, cloudy liquid or small white pellets? The former is a spawning event, the latter is feces.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Agree. If a cloudy (poof), it was spawning. If mores solid, was feces.

 

[Charlie]

I've seen my purple urchin do this many times. The white granules dribble out of a tiny hole on the top of his body and run down his side and fall where they may. The granules are heavy and fall rapidly. It often does this on my rock formation and the white granules collect on the rock below him.

Based on its appearance, I always thought that it was discharging substrate that had been consumed and passed through its body. It sure doesn't look like waste.

Now you've got me thinking. Hmmmmm Anyone know for sure?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Charlie, definitley sounds like waste to me. My purple urchins do the same thing all the time.

 

[Charlie]

I really like my purple urchin. He adds character to the tank and is quite amusing with the collection of shells that are attached to his back every day. However, he is like a bulldozer and has nocked down corals and rocks on occasion. Now he's crapping all over my LR too.

 

[DragonForce]

Charlie, the stuff my urchin was releasing was coming from many holes and was dissolved into the water quickly but I think my skimmer skimmed all of it out. My urchin is maybe 3 inches spine to spine total

I did lose a sixline wrasse and a randalls shrimp goby shortly after the spawn but I think that was because they were fighting, who knows, water quality is still high and undetectable no3.

 

[roka64]

I agree, that is spawing. The other stuff is poop, it comes out of one spot, on the top of my pincusion urchin. I have never seen my piecil urchin do either.