''Phyllacanthus imperialis'', also known as the Sputnik urchin, imperial lance urchin, imperial sea urchin, imperial urchin, pencil sea urchin, lance urchin, knobby sputnik sea urchin, mine urchin, and land mine sea urchin, is a species of

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...

s in the family

Cidaridae Cidaridae is a family of sea urchins in the order Cidaroida. Description and characteristics Cidarid sea urchins are characterized by their stout skeleton : the test is thick and hard, with massive perforated tubercles (never crenulated) sur ...

It has distinctive thick, blunt spikes. 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 brown or black. The spikes vary in color. This species emerges at night to eat invertebrates and sponges. During the day, it tends to remain hidden in holes in the coral reef. ''Phyllacanthus imperialis'' is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2607960 Cidaridae Animals described in 1816