The purple sea urchin, also known as the 'chestnut of the sea' or by its Latin name Paracentrotus lividus, is the species of urchin enjoyed at the town's urchin festivals. It can be purple, but this species can also be brown or green.
It's a herbivore animal and lives mainly on algae and posidonia.
They can be found near the surface and up to 80 metres deep, in posidonia grass or on rocks. It is native to the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
Members of the public are authorised to fish for urchins provided they adhere to certain regulations (check as they can vary from one region to the next). See regulations on urchin fishing
The study from the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue (PMCB)
The PCMB has been monitoring the local urchin populations since 1994. It conducts studies twice a year at 10 sites (before and after the fishing season) along the entire Côte Bleue. To check the latest results, download the 2016 report.
