Toxopneustes pileolus: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the toxopneustes pileolus lives – recorded in 8 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Toxopneustes pileolus
Group	Starfish, sea urchins & relatives
Found in	8 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Oceania
Class	Echinoderm
Order	Camarodonta
Family	Toxopneustidae

Where does the toxopneustes pileolus live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the toxopneustes pileolus in 8 countries and territories across Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the toxopneustes pileolus?

The toxopneustes pileolus (Toxopneustes pileolus) is an echinoderm in the order Camarodonta and the family Toxopneustidae, genus Toxopneustes. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the toxopneustes pileolus

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 (as this species is toxic). It inhabits coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rocky or sandy environments at depths of up to 90 m (295 ft). It feeds on algae, bryozoans, and organic detritus.

Its common name is derived from its numerous and distinctively flower-like pedicellariae, which are usually pinkish-white to yellowish-white in color with a central purple dot. It possesses short and blunt spines, though these are commonly hidden beneath the pedicellariae. The rigid "shell" (test) is a variegated deep red and gray in color, though in rare cases it may be greenish to light purple.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Toxopneustes pileolus (revision 1379566793), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q2488394 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).