Wana or sea urchins have sharp spines. The spines are so sharp and pointy that the wana looks and feels like a pufferfish. Ouch! Their habitat is in tide pools ,under rocks and in quiet areasnear shore waters .These urchins generally stay in one area and eat algae which they catch on their spines.

Their oval bodies can reach 5cm through 7cm

Wana move around by using their tube feet attached to the bottom of their spines.Its predators are birds, sea stars, lobsers and of course, humans. Hawaiians considered wana the most delicious of the urchins.

When eating these yummy treats they ate the meat not the spines or hard shell. Wana spines are not only as sharp as knives but poisonouis too! So when gathering wana these spines were carefully avoided. Hawaiians used a stick to dig the urchin out of crevices and off the rocks. Then it was put into a gourd for safe keeping .All the spines fall off when the urchin dies.