The photographer identified the species as Arbacia lixula, a black sea urchin. Juveniles have a distinct reddish coloration compared to the typically black adults. (Photo: Dr. Alvaro Migotto/Nikon Small World in Motion 2025)
Stunning microscopic footage captures the moment a translucent baby sea urchin crawls through a bed of red algae. The video took fifth place in Nikon's annual Small World in Motion competition.
Alvaro Migotto, a zoologist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, captured a mesmerizing video of a young sea urchin moving through its habitat and identified the species as Arbacia lixula—a black sea urchin common along the coast of Brazil and throughout the Mediterranean. Migotto discovered the tiny creature while inspecting debris washed up on the shore near the Marine Biology Center where he works.
“It happened completely by chance. While I was examining various materials—seaweed, pebbles, and shells washed up on the beach—under a stereomicroscope, looking for other organisms, I unexpectedly stumbled upon this tiny sea urchin, calmly strolling across a piece of red calcareous algae,” Migotto told Live Science via email.
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“This scene seemed perfect to me—not only was the animal moving naturally across the substrate it would normally inhabit in the wild, but the combination of the two elements created excellent contrast and pleasing colors,” he added.
Related link: How to photograph specimens under a microscope
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Sea urchins are marine invertebrates belonging to the order Echinodermata, found in oceans worldwide and in virtually every climate. They have a round, spine-covered body and hundreds of tiny tube feet.
On September 24, Nikon announced the winners and honorary diploma recipients of the competition.
The grand prize went to microscopist Jay McClellan for his time-lapse photograph of creeping speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia) self-pollinating. Photographer Benedict Player took second place for his photograph of a swarm of Volvox algae in the center hole of a Japanese 50-yen coin.
Other highlights include an 18-hour time-lapse of the growth of chick sensory neurons, a 3D composite of a male dung beetle (Sulcophanaeus imperator) created from more than 7,000 images, and a recording of mitochondria and calcium waves in muscle cells of a beating human heart.
Elise Pour, Social Link Navigation, Assistant Editor
Elise studied marine biology at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. She worked as a freelance journalist, specializing in aquatic topics.
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A never-before-seen, adorable pink, knobby snailfish with a funny little beard has been captured in a deep canyon off the coast of California.
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