Test that can vary in colour between orange and dark purple, and primary spines that are white and sometimes tipped with orange. The relative size of the spines and their arrangement are nevertheless characteristic of the species. The test is often partly covered by shell and algal fragments, which are held in place by the tube feet. In some years the species is abundant in Sydney Harbour, but in other years it is rare, probably because of variation in the survival of larvae drifting south.

• Max Size: 15 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 17.8-28.2°C
• Depth: 0–75 m
• Habitat: Rocky Reef

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Infrequent (7% 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: Many (15 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.