''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 ...

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

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.

Description

Various species of male ''Sapphirina'' shine in different hues, from bright gold to deep blue. This is partially due to

structural coloration Structural coloration in animals, and a few plants, is the production of colour by microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light instead of pigments, although some structural coloration occurs in combination wit ...

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'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina auronitens'' Claus, 1863 * ''

Sapphirina bella ''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 bicuspidata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina clausii'' (Haeckel, 1864) * '' Sapphirina coruscans'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina cylindrica ''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 danae ''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, 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 ''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 edwardsii ''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 ...

'' (Haeckel, 1864) * ''

Sapphirina elegans ''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 fulgens ''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 ...

'' Templeton, 1836 * ''

Sapphirina gastrica ''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 gegenbauri ''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 ...

'' (Haeckel, 1864) * ''

Sapphirina gemma ''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 gibba ''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 ...

'' Rose, 1929 * ''

Sapphirina granulosa ''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 inaequalis'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina indicator'' J. V. Thompson, 1829 * '' Sapphirina indigotica'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina intestinata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina iris'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina lactens'' Giesbrecht, 1893 * '' Sapphirina lomae'' Esterly, 1905 * '' Sapphirina longifurca'' A. Scott, 1909 * '' Sapphirina maculosa'' Giesbrecht, 1893 * '' Sapphirina metallina'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina nigromaculata'' Claus, 1863 * '' Sapphirina nitens'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina obesa'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina obtusa'' 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'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * '' Sapphirina pyrosomatis'' 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'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina stellata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * '' Sapphirina stylifera'' Lubbock, 1856 * '' Sapphirina tenella'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina thomsoni'' Lubbock, 1860 * '' Sapphirina uncinata'' Leuckart, 1853 * '' Sapphirina versicolor'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina vorax'' Giesbrecht, 1891

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3473198 Poecilostomatoida

Description

Species

See also

References

External links