Temnopleurus (Toreumatica) michaelseni Doederlein 1914

Family: Temnopleuridae

Order: Temnopleuroida

Locality: North-East Taiwan, 50-150 m

Dimensions: 24 Ø x 13 mm

 

Remarks: I got this specimen and that with a denuded test from a friend, who thought them to be Temnopleurus michaelseni. Regarding the apical system there is a great coincidence with Mortensen´s sketches shown below. But Mortensen limits this species to South and South-West Australia. The same does Heinke Schultz in "Sea urchins". Another question is the colour of the spines: acc. to Mortensen red-brown in the basal part, turning greenish in the distal part or uniformly redbrown, purplish or violett, that means, there is a great variety. The secondary spines are withish.

Conclusion: It is really T. michaelseni and the distribution extends at least to Taiwan or it is another species (a new one?) .

It is surely not Temnopleurus (Toreumatica) recipiens, because this species has a different apical system, a smaller horizontal diameter (no more than 8 mm acc. to Mortensen), another sculpture and redbrown banded spines.