[1] The generic name Toxopneustes literally means "poison breath", derived from Greek τοξικόν [φάρμακον] (toksikón [phármakon], "arrow [poison]") and πνευστος (pneustos, "breath").

It has no English common name, but it is known as kurosuji-rappa-uni (クロスジラッパウニ) in Japanese (literally "black streaked flower urchin").

[2] Toxopneustes elegans resemble the more common flower urchins, but they are smaller, reaching a maximum diameter of only 10 cm (4 in).

The most distinctive feature of the species, however, are the prominent black bands just below the tip of each of the short spines.

[4] They can be found from Sagami Bay in Honshu to the waters around the Amami Islands and Okinawa.