page_title: Loxechinus albus
section_title: Uses
hierarchical_section_title: Loxechinus albus / Uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Sea urchins for sale in Feria Fluvial, Valdivia, Chile
context_page_description: Loxechinus albus is an echinoderm of the family Parechinidae, native to coastal southern South America, ranging from Ecuador, along the entire coasts of Peru and Chile, to Argentina, as well as the Falkland Islands. It is known as the Chilean sea urchin or red sea urchin, but the latter name is typically used for the North Pacific Mesocentrotus franciscanus and it is not the only species of sea urchin in Chile. L. albus is found on rocky reefs and shores in the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 340 m.
context_section_description: Known locally in Chile as the 'Erizo rojo' (red urchin), it is harvested commercially by fishermen and is an ingredient in Chilean cuisine. Over-exploitation, its conspicuousness and lack of official harvest control means that this urchin is relatively rare in some parts of its range. It takes 8 years to reach harvestable size.
caption: Chilean sea urchins for sale in Feria fluvial, Valdivia. Three sea urchins are sold for 1000 Chilean Pesos.
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