Sea urchins

At certain times of the year, hava'e abound in the shallow waters of the Huahine lagoon right on the white sand. They are found almost everywhere but in particular near Fitii and Maeva. These strange creatures create dark crowds in the turquoise blue lagoon. These are sea urchins of the Toxopneustidae family: sea urchins with short, thin spines of red, pink or purple color, distributed in narrow bands around the black or dark brown shell. Their Latin name is Tripneustes gratilla. (I love using these Latin names: it sounds cultured even when you're not!!!). In French, they are called priest's cap urchin, miter urchin or collector urchin. These bizarre creatures cover themselves with pieces of algae, small pebbles or coral debris to camouflage themselves and protect themselves during the day. They feed on algae and live in the tropical Indo-Pacific zone. These are venomous sea urchins which, if threatened, can inject a powerful venom which can cause itching or skin pain, nausea or discomfort for at least 6 hours! Also, when you pick them up, it's best to immediately put them in a bucket or pick them up with their mouth down and away from your body so that the toxins don't touch your skin. Very popular in the Philippines and Japan (we eat their yellow gonads), it is wiser to eat them grilled mouth down in order to eliminate all the toxins which, according to what they say, can cause significant diarrhea. But a real delight with lemon!