Coelopleurus

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Coelopleurus
Temporal range: Eocene–Present
MHNT - Coelopleurus maculatus, squelette - Moumea, Nouvelle-Caledonie.jpg
Coelopleurus maculatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoidea
Order: Arbacioida
Family: Arbaciidae
Genus: Coelopleurus
Agassiz

Coelopleurus is an extant genus of echinoids with fossil records dating back to the Eocene, [1] with remains found in Europe and North America.

Contents

Characteristics

Test of a Coelopleurus exquisitus Coelopleurus exquisitus (Macro).jpg
Test of a Coelopleurus exquisitus

These abyssal sea urchins are characterized by their surprisingly bright color pattern, usually red and white. Even more surprisingly, their tests (skeletons) are brightly colored, too, even after drying, or sometimes fossilization. [2]

Species

According to World Register of Marine Species: [3]

Fossil species:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temnopleuridea</span> Infraorder of sea urchins

Temnopleuridea is an infraorder of sea urchins in the order Camarodonta. They are distinguished from other sea urchins by the presence of large fused plates on top of the feeding lantern. The test is usually sculpted to some degree, and has perforated tubercles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echinothurioida</span> Order of sea urchins

The Echinothurioida are an order of sea urchins in the class Echinoidea. Echinothurioids are distinguished from other sea urchins by the combination of a flexible test and hollow spines. The membrane around the mouth contains only simple plates, in contrast to the more complex mouth parts of their close relatives, the Diadematoida. They are nearly all deepsea dwellers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cidaridae</span> Family of sea urchins

Cidaridae is a family of sea urchins in the order Cidaroida.

<i>Spatangus</i> Genus of sea urchins

Spatangus is a genus of heart urchins in the Spatangidae family. The genus is synonymous with the previously recognised genera Prospatangus Lambert, 1902 and Spatagus. There are nine recognised species. The type species is Spatangus purpureus Müller, 1776 by subsequent designation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxopneustidae</span> Family of echinoderms

Toxopneustidae is a family of globular sea urchins in the class Echinoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarodonta</span> Order of sea urchins

The Camarodonta are an order of globular sea urchins in the class Echinoidea. The fossil record shows that camarodonts have been in existence since the Lower Cretaceous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holasteroida</span> Order of sea urchins

Holasteroida is an order of irregular sea urchins.

<i>Clypeaster</i> Genus of sea urchins

Clypeaster, common name "cake urchins" or "sea biscuits", is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Clypeasteridae.

<i>Tripneustes</i> Genus of sea urchins

Tripneustes is a genus of sea urchins belonging to the family Toxopneustidae.

<i>Eucidaris</i> Genus of sea urchins

Eucidaris is a genus of cidaroid sea urchins known as slate pencil urchins. They are characterised by a moderately thick test, a usually monocyclic apical disc, perforate and non-crenulate tubercles and nearly straight ambulacra with horizontal pore pairs. The primary spines are few and widely spaced, stout with blunt flat tips and beaded ornamentation and the secondary spines are short and apressed. They originated in the Miocene and extant members of the genus are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean, East Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

<i>Chaetodiadema</i> Genus of sea urchins

Chaetodiadema is a genus of sea urchins of the Family Diadematidae. Their armour is covered with spines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echinothuriidae</span> Family of sea urchins

The Echinothuriidae are a family of sea urchins in the order Echinothurioida. Due to their soft skeletons, most are called "leather urchins", but species in the genus Asthenosoma are also known as "fire urchins" due to their bright colors and painful, venomous sting.

<i>Toxopneustes roseus</i> Species of sea urchin

Toxopneustes roseus is a species of sea urchin from the East Pacific. It is sometimes known as the rose flower urchin or the pink flower urchin. Like the related flower urchin, they are venomous.

<i>Toxopneustes elegans</i> Species of sea urchin

Toxopneustes elegans is a species of sea urchin endemic to Japan. Like the closely related flower urchin, they are venomous.

<i>Toxopneustes maculatus</i> Species of sea urchin

Toxopneustes maculatus is a rare species of sea urchin found in the Indo-West Pacific.

<i>Araeosoma</i> Genus of sea urchins

Araeosoma is a genus of deep-sea sea urchins in the family Echinothuriidae.

<i>Aporocidaris</i> Genus of sea urchins

Aporocidaris is a genus of sea urchins in the family Ctenocidaridae. Several species are found in deep water in circum-Antarctic locations.

Tetragramma is a genus of fossil sea urchins known from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) to the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian).

<i>Dermechinus</i> Genus of sea urchins

Dermechinus is a genus of sea urchin in the family Echinidae found in deep water in the southern Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is monotypic, with Dermechinus horridus, sometimes called the cactus urchin, being the only species.

Schizasteridae is a family of echinoderms belonging to the order Spatangoida.

References

  1. Fossils (Smithsonian Handbooks) by David Ward (p. 179)
  2. Mah, Christopher L. "Coelopleurus : The most gorgeous urchin you never heard of!". The Echinoblog..
  3. Coelopleurus on WoRMS.
  4. Coelopleurus elegans (Bell) at museum.tohoku.ac.jp

Further reading