Prickly Defenders: A Review of Venomous Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)

Sina Ehlert-Flaskämper; Cherie A Motti; Richard Harris

doi:10.3390/md23060253

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Prickly Defenders: A Review of Venomous Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Prickly Defenders: A Review of Venomous Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)

Sina Ehlert-Flaskämper, Cherie A Motti and Richard Harris

Marine Drugs, Vol.23(6), pp.1-21

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/md23060253

PMID: 40559662

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Abstract

urchin

echinoidea

echinoderms

venom

toxin

defence

Sea urchins, Echinoidea, are widely known for their defensive spines and pedicel-lariae, with some species having co-evolved venom in conjunction with those appendages. Despite this, their venomous arsenal remains poorly understood. Research has predomi-nately focused on pedicellariae venom, while the spines have been largely neglected within studies. This review consolidates current knowledge of the venom systems (spines and pedicellariae) of sea urchins, focusing on the morphology, known venom components, and their functional effects. While early studies have established the bioactivity of crude extracts and fractions, along with the partial characterisation of some toxins, most of these studies are outdated and were conducted with very basic methodologies. Modern venomics presents an opportunity to meet this challenge, enabling development of a comprehensive database on venomous urchins and their toxins. This advancement will facilitate research into targeted early treatments and therapies for victims of sea urchin stings, ultimately improving health outcomes and enhancing our scientific understanding of venom toxins and their broader implications for human health and bioinnovation.

Details

Title: Prickly Defenders: A Review of Venomous Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)
Authors: Sina Ehlert-Flaskämper (Author) - James Cook University
Cherie A Motti - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Richard Harris (Corresponding Author) - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Publication details: Marine Drugs, Vol.23(6), pp.1-21
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.3390/md23060253
ISSN: 1660-3397
PMID: 40559662
Copyright note: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Data Availability: No new data was used to create this manuscript.
Grant note: Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Appropriation grant (Grant no. 003746). S.E.-F. was funded by JCU International Excellence Scholarship, DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V.) Stipendium für ein Masterstudium im Ausland (German Academic Exchange Service scholarship for a Master’s programme abroad) and the AIMS@JCU program.
Organisation Unit: Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991177842902621
Output Type: Journal article

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