Coelopleurus exquisitus
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The exquisite urchin (''Coelopleurus exquisitus'') is a sea urchin species found off the coast of the island of New Caledonia in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
. It is an epifaunal deepwater species living at depths between and was only identified and named in 2006.A new species of Coelopleurus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea: Arbaciidae) from New Caledoni
''
Zootaxa ''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...
'', Magnolia Press. 7 August 2006. Accessed 20 September 2011.


Colouration

The colouration and pattern of ''C. exquisitus'' is vibrant and distinctive. Examined individuals of the species show that the
test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
is up to in diameter, with long, curved spines. These primary spikes are curved and banded with red and light green. It has large purple interambulacral regions with undulating lavender lines, while the remainder of the epithelium is coloured olive or light brown. This makes it highly sought-after by collectors, which may threaten the species. However, too little is known about the species to confirm their number. The purpose of the pigmentation, which is present in both the skin and skeleton, is also unknown, given the low light conditions of its habitat. One presented theory is that the species migrated from shallower waters and has maintained its colouring.O'Brien, Helen
New urchin leaves eBayers all at sea
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. 17 August 2006. Accessed 20 September 2011.


Discovery

The species was first identified after appearing on auction website
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
.Vallance, Chris
An Exquisite New Species found on Ebay
.
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. 4 September 2006. Accessed 26 April 2014. Simon Coppard,
marine biologist Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifi ...
and member of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, was directed to a listing on the site in 2004. Coppard was frequently asked to identify species, but did not recognise this particular specimen. Further investigation with the help of Heinke Schultz led him to realise it was a previously unidentified species. The species was given a name fitting its unique and beautiful colouring, with details about ''C. exquisitus'' first published in
taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
journal ''
Zootaxa ''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...
'' on 7 August 2006. Immediately after this public introduction, the value of specimens for sale on eBay rocketed from $8 to $138. Coppard expressed concern that sea urchins like ''C. exquisitus'' could become endangered by sellers who abuse the insufficient regulatory protocols currently in place: "The collection and sale of these urchins should be regulated and monitored; otherwise, we may decimate the populations before we know much more about it." A similar event occurred in 2008 when a fossilised
aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
encased in
amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...
was purchased from eBay. Again, the species was found to never have been described; it was given the name '' Mindarus harringtoni'' after the buyer's name.eBay insect fossil is new species
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
. 20 August 2008. Accessed 20 September 2011.


See also

* Unusual eBay listings


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3389306 Animals described in 2006 Arbacioida Prehistoric animals of Oceania