Coelopleurus exquisitus sp. nov. Coppard & Schultz 2006
Family: Arbaciidae	Order: Arbacioida
Locality: New Caledonia, 450 m,	Dimensions:26 Ø x 16 mm
Locality: New Caledonia, 450 m,	Dimensions:36 Ø x 23 mm

After the erronous and confusing taxa C. interruptus and C. maculatus used by sellers and collectors a new examination was necessary. This work has been carried out by Dr. Simon Coppard from the Natural Historic Museum, London, and Heinke Schultz, the author of "Sea Urchins".

As result they present a new species Coelopleurus exquisitus, different from all other known species. The result with a detailed description and pictures have been forwarded to the International Commision on Zoological Nomenclature. Dr. Coppard was so kind, to send me the paper

A new species of Coelopleurus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea, Arbaciidae) from New Caledonia

19 pages, published 7 Aug. 2006 in ZOOTAXA 1281: 1-19, Magnolia Press

The article is highly recommendable, because it contains not only the detailed description and an overview of the most important features compared with such of other known Coelopleurus species, but also excellent colour photos from a complete urchin, a denuded test and spine and pedicellariae details and last not least scanning electron micrographs of spine sections and pedicellariae.

Mortensen old key for Coelopleurus (see below) is now incomplete.

Key to the recent species of the genus Coelopleurus (after Mortensen)
			Go to
1.	Primary spines banded with red or purpish bands Primary spines usually not banded		2 4
2.	Bands of primary spines red Bands of primary spines purplish	C.maculatus, p. 631	3
3.	Ophicephalous pedicellariae common No ophicephalous pedicellariae, except on buccal plates	C.maillardi, p. 627 C.granulatus, p. 635
4.	Naked interambulacral spaces bordered by white Naked interambulacral spaces bordered by red	C. interruptus, p. 626	5
5.	Primary spines straight Primary spines curved	C.vittatus, p. 625	6
6.	Valves of ophicephalous pedicellariae constricted Valves of ophicephalous pedicellariae not constricted		7 10
7.	No witish or purplish undulating median line in naked interambulacral area A conspicious witish or purplish undulating median line in naked interambulacral area	C.floridanus, p. 612	8
8.	Undulating median line purplish Undulating median line witish	C.undulatus var. polymorphus, p. 625	9
9.	Naked merian area sharply limited against lateral parts Naked merian area not sharped limited against lateral parts	C.undulatus var. ruber, p. 624 C.undulatus, p. 622
10.	Numerous tubercles on lateral parts of interambulacra; primary spines gray-brown, with a greenish tinge, passing into red Few tubercles on lateral parts of interambulacra; primary spines red or witish	C.australis, p. 627 C.longicollis, p. 619