The Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, is commonly known as the purple sea urchin. This species lives along the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean extending from Ensenada, Mexico, to British Columbia, Canada.
This sea urchin species lives in lower inter-tidal and nearshore sub-tidal communities. It grows to a diameter of about 10 cm (4 inches), and they may live as long as 70 years.
The purple sea urchin has an important role in biomedical research, as the discovery of three distinct eukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerases was made using Strongylocentrotus purpuratus as a model organism.
