Coelopleurus

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

Coelopleurus
Temporal range: Eocene–Present
Coelopleurus maculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Class:
Echinoidea
Subclass:
Euechinoidea
Order:
Arbacioida
Family:
Arbaciidae
Genus:
Coelopleurus

Characteristics
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]

  • Coelopleurus australis H.L. Clark, 1916
  • Coelopleurus carolinensis Cooke, 1941a †
  • Coelopleurus castroi Maury, 1930 †
  • Coelopleurus exquisitus Coppard & Schultz, 2006
  • Coelopleurus floridanus Agassiz, 1872
  • Coelopleurus granulatus Mortensen, 1934
  • Coelopleurus interruptus Döderlein, 1910
  • Coelopleurus longicollis Agassiz & H.L. Clark, 1908
  • Coelopleurus maculatus Agassiz & H.L. Clark, 1907
  • Coelopleurus maillardi (Michelin, 1862)
  • Coelopleurus melitensis Zammit-Maempel, 1969 †
  • Coelopleurus singularis Nisiyama, 1966
  • Coelopleurus undulatus Mortensen, 1934a
  • Coelopleurus vittatus Koehler, 1927

Fossil species:

  • †Coelopleurus elegans (Bell), from the Pleistocene of the Jizo-do formation of Japan[4]

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


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