''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of parasitic

copepod Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat (ecology), habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthos, benthic (living on the ocean floor) ...

s in the family

Sapphirinidae Sapphirinidae is a family of parasitic copepods in the order Cyclopoida. Description Males come in a variety of bright and flashy colors. In contrast, the females are transparent. The reason for this sexual dimorphism is that males need to at ...

Description

Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This is partially due to structural coloration in which microscopic layers of crystal plates inside their cells which are separated by minute distances, and these distances equal the same wavelength of the corresponding color of their "shine". The females are translucent, as are the males when they are not shining.

Species

The genus ''Sapphirina'' consists of the following species: * '' Sapphirina angusta'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina aureofurca ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * ''

Sapphirina auronitens ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Claus, 1863 * '' Sapphirina bella'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina bicuspidata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina clausii'' (Haeckel, 1864) * '' Sapphirina coruscans'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina cylindrica'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina danae'' Lubbock, 1856 * ''

Sapphirina darwinii ''Sapphirina darwinii'' is a species of parasitic copepod. It is widespread and common in the Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It i ...

'' Haeckel, 1864 * '' Sapphirina detonsa'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina edwardsii'' (Haeckel, 1864) * '' Sapphirina elegans'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina fulgens'' Templeton, 1836 * '' Sapphirina gastrica'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina gegenbauri'' (Haeckel, 1864) * '' Sapphirina gemma'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina gibba'' Rose, 1929 * '' Sapphirina granulosa'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina inaequalis'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina indicator'' J. V. Thompson, 1829 * '' Sapphirina indigotica'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina intestinata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina iris'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina lactens ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Giesbrecht, 1893 * ''

Sapphirina lomae ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Esterly, 1905 * ''

Sapphirina longifurca ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' A. Scott, 1909 * ''

Sapphirina maculosa ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Giesbrecht, 1893 * ''

Sapphirina metallina ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina nigromaculata'' Claus, 1863 * '' Sapphirina nitens'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina obesa'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina obtusa ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina opaca'' Lubbock, 1856 * '' Sapphirina opalina'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina opalina-darwini ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * '' Sapphirina orientalis'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina ovalis'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina ovata'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina ovatolanceolata'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina ovatolanceolata-gemma'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * '' Sapphirina pachygaster'' Claus, 1863 * '' Sapphirina parva'' Lubbock, 1860 * ''

Sapphirina pseudolactens ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * ''

Sapphirina pyrosomatis ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Giesbrecht, 1893 * '' Sapphirina reticulata'' Brady, 1883 * '' Sapphirina sali'' Farran, 1929 * '' Sapphirina salpae'' Claus, 1859 * '' Sapphirina scalaris'' Fischer, 1860 * '' Sapphirina scarlata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * ''

Sapphirina serrata ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Brady, 1883 * '' Sapphirina sinuicauda'' Brady, 1883 * ''

Sapphirina splendens ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina stellata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina stylifera'' Lubbock, 1856 * '' Sapphirina tenella'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina thomsoni ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina uncinata'' Leuckart, 1853 * ''

Sapphirina versicolor ''Sapphirina'', whose members are commonly known as sea sapphires, is a genus of parasitic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae. Description Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This i ...

'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina vorax'' Giesbrecht, 1891

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3473198 Poecilostomatoida

Description

Species

See also

References

External links