It occurs on shallow reefs off the coasts of Panama, Belize, the Florida Keys and Jamaica.

The spines are either deep green or white and have a ridge running along one side of each, a fact that distinguishes this species from the very similar Lytechinus variegatus.

[2][4] The jewel urchin does not protect itself from the sun by covering its upper surface with bits of seagrass and shell but instead, tends to hide in cracks during the day and emerge to feed at night.

[5] In Panama the jewel urchin's spawning period occurs annually in the rainy season.

It occurs over an extended period and does not seem to be linked with phases of the moon as is the case in some other species of sea urchin.