The sea urchin served at sushi restaurants today is not limited to those harvested in the waters surrounding Japan. While sea urchin has long been prized in Japan as a luxury ingredient for sushi and seafood dishes, growing global demand has transformed it into an internationally traded seafood resource.
In recent decades, the worldwide popularity of sushi and Japanese cuisine has expanded dramatically. As a result, demand for sea urchin has increased not only in Japan but also in major markets such as China, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe. This growing international appetite has encouraged countries worldwide to invest in sea urchin fisheries, resource management, and aquaculture development.
Today, countries including Chile, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and several European nations conduct extensive research into sea urchin ecology, sustainable harvesting practices, and aquaculture techniques. Many of these regions export sea urchins to Japan while also supplying rapidly expanding overseas markets.
Differences in marine environments, food sources, and local ecosystems give each species of sea urchin its own distinctive flavor, texture, and color. Some are prized for their rich sweetness, while others are valued for their firm texture or complex umami characteristics. These unique qualities have broadened the diversity of sea urchin available to sushi chefs and seafood lovers worldwide.
Today, sea urchins harvested from oceans across the globe play an essential role in supporting both Japan’s sushi culture and the growing international demand for sushi. In the following pages, we introduce some of the most representative sea urchin species used as sushi toppings around the world.
Countries and their major Sea urchin species for sushi and seafood markets
Chile
・Chilean Sea Urchin（Loxechinus albus (Molina, 1782)）
Argentina
・Patagonian Sea Urchin（Arbacia dufresnii (Blainville, 1825)）
・Magellanic Sea Urchin（Pseudechinus magellanicus (Philippi, 1857)）
Mexico
・American Purple Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson, 1857)）
・Van Brunt’s Sea Urchin（Echinometra vanbrunti A. Agassiz, 1863）
・Giant Red Sea Urchin（Mesocentrotus franciscanus (A. Agassiz, 1863)）
United States
・American Purple Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson, 1857)）
・Giant Red Sea Urchin（Mesocentrotus franciscanus (A. Agassiz, 1863)）
・Green Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776)）
・West Indian Sea Egg（Tripneustes ventricosus (Lamarck, 1816)）
・Long-Spined Sea Urchin（Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845)）
Canada
・Green Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776)）
・Giant Red Sea Urchin（Mesocentrotus franciscanus (A. Agassiz, 1863)）
United Kingdom
・European Edible Sea Urchin（Echinus esculentus Linnaeus, 1758）
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
Ireland
・European Edible Sea Urchin（Echinus esculentus Linnaeus, 1758）
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
・Green Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776)）
Norway
・Green Sea Urchin（Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Müller, 1776)）
・European Edible Sea Urchin（Echinus esculentus Linnaeus, 1758）
France
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
・European Edible Sea Urchin（Echinus esculentus Linnaeus, 1758）
・Green Sea Urchin（Psammechinus miliaris (P.L.S. Müller, 1771)）
Italy
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
Spain
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
・European Edible Sea Urchin（Echinus esculentus Linnaeus, 1758）
Greece
・Mediterranean Purple Sea Urchin（Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)）
Australia
・Black Long-spined Sea Urchin（Centrostephanus rodgersii (A. Agassiz, 1864)）
・Wana（Heliocidaris erythrogramma (Valenciennes, 1846)）
・Red Sea Urchin（Heliocidaris tuberculata (Lamarck, 1816)）
New Zealand
・Kina（Evechinus chloroticus (Valenciennes, 1846)）
・Black Long-spined Sea Urchin（Centrostephanus rodgersii (A. Agassiz, 1863)）