The Science Behind Sea Urchins!! #shorts #science

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Ever stepped on one of these ocean pin cushions? Meet the sea urchin, a tiny armored animal that's been around for over 450 million years, older than dinosaurs. Sea urchin. Sea urchins are echinoderms, meaning they're actually related to starfish. But unlike fish, they move using hundreds of tiny tube feet powered by seawater, basically hydraulic feet. So, how do they even exist? It starts when male and female urchins release clouds of eggs and sperm into the ocean. A fertilized egg becomes a microscopic floating larva, drifting with plankton before transforming into the spiky creature we know. Double tap the screen for more science behind everything. Their spikes aren't just for defense, either. Some species can even inject venom, while others use the spikes like stilts to crawl across the seafloor hunting algae. And here's the wild part. Sea urchins have teeth.

[00:00:42]Five of them, hidden inside a rotating jaw called Aristotle's lantern, that can scrape rock clean. So, yeah, that spiky ball at the beach, it's basically an ancient underwater tank with hydraulic feet and a built-in drill.