Flower urchin (Toxopneustes pileolus). The sea urchin an echinoderm, a relative of the star fish. Its exoskeleton shell, or test, is covered in spines

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Flower urchin (Toxopneustes pileolus). The sea urchin an echinoderm, a relative of the star fish. Its exoskeleton shell, or test, is covered in spines that protect it from predators. The spines of this sea urchin contain a powerful venom that can be lethal to humans. It is found in bays and lagoons with sandy or pebbly bottoms in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. It can reach diameters of 14 centimetres. Photographed in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

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Size: 5120px × 3401px
Photo credit: © GEORGETTE DOUWMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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