The sea urchin Coelopleurus exquisitus was discovered on eBay. Marine biologist Simon Coppard was directed to a listing on the site in 2004 and realized that the species had not previously been described. When it was properly named and introduced in Zootaxa two years later, the value of specimens on eBay shot up from $8 to $138.

In 2008 a fossilized aphid on eBay was similarly found to be unidentified. Eventually it was named Mindarus harringtoni, after the buyer.