Pincushion Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus

Pincushion Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus

£29.99

SKU: STF-MARINE-MISSING-CRITTERS-229 Category:

Description

Pincushion Sea Urchin – Lytechinus variegatus

Overview:
The Pincushion Sea Urchin is a small to medium-sized urchin with a round, ball-like body covered in short, stubby spines. It gets its name from its pincushion-like shape. Known for being efficient algae grazers, they are popular in aquariums for keeping live rock clean.

Origin:
Found throughout the Western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico, often in seagrass beds, sandy flats, and shallow reefs.

Feeding:

  • Primarily herbivorous: feeds on film algae, coralline algae, and macroalgae.

  • Will graze constantly on live rock surfaces.

  • Can be supplemented with dried seaweed (nori), spirulina, and algae wafers.

Tank Mates:

  • Reef-safe (does not harm corals).

  • Avoid predators like triggerfish, puffers, and large wrasses, which may nip at or consume them.

Aggression Level:
Peaceful. May accidentally knock over loose corals or frags while grazing and moving around.

Experience Level:
Beginner to Intermediate. Fairly hardy but needs a mature tank with sufficient algae to prevent starvation.

Water Parameters:

  • Temperature: 72–78°F (22–26°C)

  • pH: 8.1–8.4

  • Salinity: 1.023–1.025

  • Tank Size: 30+ gallons

Unique Features:

  • Rounded “pincushion” shape with spines shorter and blunter than many other urchins.

  • Known to decorate itself by attaching shells, bits of rubble, or algae to its spines for camouflage.

  • Active grazer that helps control nuisance algae in reef aquariums.

✨ The Pincushion Sea Urchin is a hardy, reef-safe addition that excels at algae control and thrives in tanks with plenty of live rock and established algae growth.

STANDARD DELIVERY UK MAINLAND ONLY – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Overnight courier service by DX guaranteed next day delivery pre 1pm. We will contact you via email within 24 hours of purchase with your confirmed delivery date.: £20.00

 

SATURDAY STANDARD DELIVERY UK MAINLAND ONLY –  Overnight courier service by DX guaranteed next day delivery pre 1pm. We will contact you via email within 24 hours of purchase with your confirmed delivery date.: £30.00

 

INSURED DELIVERY UK MAINLAND ONLY –Wednesday,Thursday, Friday. Overnight courier service by DX guaranteed next day delivery pre 1pm. Insurance covers Damage, Delay, Loss or temperature issues. Instant replacement shipped the next day upon receipt of supporting photographs.: £30.00

 

SATURDAY INSURED DELIVERY UK MAINLAND ONLY –Overnight courier service by DX guaranteed next day delivery pre 1pm. Insurance covers Damage, Delay, Loss or temperature issues. Instant replacement shipped the next day upon receipt of supporting photographs.: £40.00

 

ADDITIONS TO AN EXISTING ORDER – If you would like to add more items to an existing order for delivery, please select this option. All additions must be made 24 hours before your existing delivery date.

 

AQUARIUM DELIVERY – All Sims Aquariums and Other Branded Aquariums with Cabinets are £100 for a curb-side delivery. We will contact you within 24 hours of purchase to arrange a convenient delivery date.: £100.00

 

GIFT CARDS – These will be delivered electronically within 24 hours of receipt of payment, please remember that if you have any other items that require shipping, you must select either Standard or Insured delivery.

 

 

 

D.O.A DELIVERY POLICY UPDATED 01/12/2025

Should You Have Any Questions Regarding Our Policies Or Procedures Please Don’t Hesitate to Contact Us. All Emails Will Be Responded To Within 24 Hours.

We Do Not Have UK Retail Stores That Are Open to The Public. Sims Tropical Fish Operates And Manages The Logistics of All Aquatic Species in The UK For Trade And Retail Customers.

We Are Not Able To Provide Images Of The Exact Fish On Any Occasion Due To The Number of Fish Leaving Us Everyday To Our Trade And Retail Customers. Our Team’s Across Our UK Distribution Centre’s Will Always Select A Fish As Close To The Advertised Images As Possible.

All Sizes Described On The Website Are An Approximation As We Are Dealing With Livestock. We Will Always Send Fish Out That Are As Close As Possible To The Sizes Listed.

Our Website Is Not A Reflection Of Current UK Wide Distribution Centre Stock. All Our Livestock Listed On The Website Is Available To Order For Delivery Within 14 Days Of Purchase. 

 

For Our Rarer Species, We Are Effectively Importing The Livestock On Your Behalf As A Pre Order. We Currently Deliver 99% Of Trade Orders On The Selected Delivery Date and 95% Of Retail 

 

Orders On The Selected Delivery Date.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE DOA DELIVERY POLICY BEFORE YOU PURCHASE. AS MAKING A PAYMENT WILL BE AN AGREEMENT TO ACCEPTING THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

  1. With All Delivery Options You Will Receive A Delivery Date Confirmation Via Email Within 24 Hours Of Purchase.
  1. Please Ensure That You Have Read Your Delivery Information Email Which Will Answer Any Questions You May Have About The Transportation Of Your Livestock.
  1. If You Would Like To Change Your Delivery Date You Can Contact Us And We Can Send Your Order At A More Convenient Day To You.
  1. Please Advise Your Preferred Delivery Date At The Checkout And We Will Always Do Our Best To Deliver On The Date Requested. 

We Do Not Refund Dead On Arrival Fish. We Always Replace Them In The Box With Your Next Order Free Of Charge. Should You Have Any Unlikely Issues With Your Delivery We Will Always Do Our Very Best To Resolve The Problem Immediately.

Please Take The Time To Photograph Or Video Your Delivery And The Bags As They Come Out Of The Box As Your Insurance Policy. 

Fish That Are Delivered Dead On Arrival On The Allocated Delivery Date Will Be Replaced By Us And Then Sent Out In The Box With Your Next Order Free Of Charge, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs. For Successful DOA Claims, Images Of The Livestock In The Delivery Packaging Are To Be Received By Us Via Email Only, On The Day Of Delivery At retail@simstropicalfish.co.uk.

Should You Be Unfortunate Enough To Experience Any Very Unlikely Issues, Please Contact Us Immediately On:

Retail Customer Orders 07801 323641 retail@simstropicalfish.co.uk

 

We Will Always Resolve Any Problems.

Through 2019 To 2025 Our Couriers Have Delivered Over 1 Millions Boxes Of Live Fish To Our Retail and Trade Customers At A Right First Time Rate Of Over 99.9%.


STANDARD DELIVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY 

Standard Delivery Is £20 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. Selecting Your Fish For Standard Delivery Is A Choice Against Selecting The Insured Delivery Service And Is A Formal Agreement To Accepting The The Terms And Conditions Stated By This Policy. 

We deliver our standard service to retail customers through our livestock licensed courier DX on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday every week.

Our Service Level Agreement With The Courier Is That The Fish Will Be Collected From Us In The Evening Prior To Your Delivery Date And Delivered The Next Day Before 1pm In The Condition And Temperature That They Were Collected In. 

All Your Tracking Information Will Be Sent To You Directly By The Courier Dx The Evening Before Your Delivery Date When Your Box Is Collected From The Supplier. You Will Also Receive A Text Message From The Courier Around 9am On Your Delivery Day With Your Time Slot. You Must Ensure Someone Is At The Delivery Address On Your Delivery Date To Receive The Livestock.

INSURED STANDARD DELIVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

Insured Delivery Is £30 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. We Are Also Able To Offer A Fully Insured Standard Delivery Service Where Should You Experience Any Problems, Including Issues Relating To Temperature, Damage, Loss Or Delay By The Courier, Sims Tropical Fish Will Step In And Resend An Instant Replacement Fish For Delivery The Following Day, Rather Than With Your Next Order, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs.

Instant Replacement Livestock Can Be Delivered On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Every Week.

STANDARD DELIVERY SATURDAY

Standard Delivery On a Saturday Is £30 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. Please Ensure That When You Are Selecting Your Delivery Date As A Saturday, That You Are Selecting A Saturday Delivery Cost At The Checkout. Selecting Your Fish For Standard Delivery Is A Choice Against Selecting The Insured Delivery Service And Is A Formal Agreement To Accepting The The Terms And Conditions Stated By This Policy. 

We Deliver Our Standard Service To Retail Customers Through Our Livestock Licensed Courier DX On A Wednesday, Thursday, Friday And Saturday Every Week.

Our Service Level Agreement With The Courier Is That The Fish Will Be Collected From Us In The Evening Prior To Your Delivery Date And Delivered The Next Day Before 1pm In The Condition And Temperature That They Were Collected In. 

All Your Tracking Information Will Be Sent To You Directly By The Courier Dx The Evening Before Your Delivery Date When Your Box Is Collected From The Supplier. You Will Also Receive A Text Message From The Courier Around 9am On Your Delivery Day With Your Time Slot. You Must Ensure Someone Is At The Delivery Address On Your Delivery Date To Receive The Livestock.

INSURED STANDARD DELIVERY SATURDAY

Insured Delivery On A Saturday Is £40 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. We Are Also Able To Offer A Fully Insured Standard Delivery Service Where Should You Experience Any Problems, Including Issues Relating To Temperature, Damage, Loss Or Delay By The Courier, Sims Tropical Fish Will Step In And Resend An Instant Replacement Fish For Delivery The Following Delivery Day, Rather Than With Your Next Order, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs.

Instant Replacement Livestock Can Be Delivered On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday And Saturday Every Week.

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