Evechinus chloroticus

Evechinus chloroticus, commonly known as the common sea urchin, sea egg or kina, is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm.

Kina populations throughout New Zealand have dramatically grown due to the effects of overfishing and climate change, resulting in over-grazing that significantly damages kelp forest ecosystems. Kina are now being actively removed from many ecosystems for marine conservation efforts.

Kina have been a traditional component of Māori diet since pre-European times and has been fished commercially since 1986 in small quantities under the quota management system in restricted areas along the coast of New Zealand. Attempts to export E. chloroticus to Asian markets have been unsuccessful, so it may not be an economically attractive species for aquaculture development.

Evechinus chloroticus is distributed throughout New Zealand and in some northern and southern offshore islands. It is the most common sea urchin species in New Zealand.