Sea urchins, prized for their edible gonads, resort to cannibalism when starved and forced into overcrowded tanks, according to new research. There are no documented reports of cannibalism among wild sea urchin populations, according to the study, so little doubt exists that manmade conditions are driving this behavior. Aquaculture of sea urchins is particularly popular in Japan and China, where millions of tons are harvested each year. Certain fish raised for human consumption, such as Cobia, trout and flounder, as well as many species of shrimp and lobsters, are also known to become cannibals when under stress. That is one reason the claws of lobsters are bound when these shellfish are confined in small fish market tanks.
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