NorCal Kayak Anglers
General => Fish Talk => Topic started by: Potato_River on May 16, 2006, 04:51:45 PM
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Brian,
Its not a fish, but I'm sure you studied them.
I heard that all urchins contain roe and that they change sex just before doing their "reproductive thing". Is this true?
Assuming it is, logic tells me that if I put 6 in an ice chest, when I get home, 3 might have roe and 3 might not. Is there a way of preventing this from happening?
If I keep them on ice, will the cold temp slow down their urge?
Do I need to prevent physical contact ie. Individual wrapping? How about stacking them "back to back" or some other arrangement?
Thanks,
Stuart
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Altough occasionally some urchins are found to be hermaphrodites (like people I suppose), urchins have two distinct genders. Even if they were sequential hermaphrodites, I doubt that the change could occur over the course of a trip home from a dive.
What is probably happening is that like people, urchins are 50% male and 50% female. But unlike people, there is no way to tell from external features. You can't whether an urchin will have roe or not tell until you get home and crack them open at which point you end up with about half of the urchins with roe (the females). Is there a way to prevent this... other than luck.. no.
Brian