Large, serrated primary spines, which are often eroded and covered by sessile invertebrates, and platelike secondary spines, which form a corona-like structure around the base of the primary spines. The similar Goniocidaris impressa has scrobicular spines which are club shaped, not pointed or flattened as in G. tubaria.

• Max Size: 6 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 9.1-23.9°C
• Depth: 0-630m
• Habitat: Rocky Reef, Soft sediment

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Frequent (20% of sites)
  Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
• Abundance: Few (4 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.