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Toxopneustes pileolus, commonly known as the flower urchin, is a widespread and commonly encountered species of sea urchin from the Indo-West Pacific.It is considered highly dangerous, as it is capable of delivering extremely painful and medically significant stings when touched.
Toxopneustes is a genus of sea urchins from the tropical Indo-Pacific.It contains four species.They are known to possess medically significant venom to humans on their pedicellariae (tiny claw-like structures).
The specific name roseus means "rosy" in Latin. Though it does not have a widely used common name, it is sometimes known as the "rose flower urchin" or the "pink flower urchin". [2] More commonly, it is simply called a "flower urchin", though that name strictly applies only to the related Indo-West Pacific species, Toxopneustes pileolus.
The flower urchin is a dangerous, potentially lethally venomous species. The spines , long and sharp in some species, protect the urchin from predators . Some tropical sea urchins like Diadematidae , Echinothuriidae and Toxopneustidae have venomous spines.
Flower urchins may refer to: Toxopneustes pileolus, a venomous species of sea urchin from the tropical Indo-West Pacific; Members of the genus Toxopneustes in general
Toxopneustes elegans is one of the four species in the genus Toxopneustes.It was first described by the German zoologist Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Döderlein in 1885. [1] The generic name Toxopneustes literally means "poison breath", derived from Greek τοξικόν [φάρμακον] (toksikón [phármakon], "arrow [poison]") and πνευστος (pneustos, "breath").
The appearance of living specimens is unknown, but like other flower urchins, it probably has prominent pedicellariae.It is only known from empty "shells" ().The tests have a distinctive color pattern with a large bright purple blotch around the entirety of the bottom surface as well as a bright blue-violet band around the middle.
The urchins were released to help control the invasive seaweed genus Kappaphycus, also known as "smothering seaweed," which has overrun local coral. Tripneustes gratilla stays on the reef and is an effective algae grazer. [6] The urchins were bred at Anuenue Fisheries Research Center from about a million larvae. [7]