''Yoda purpurata'' is a species of

acorn worm The acorn worms or Enteropneusta are a Hemichordata, hemichordate class of invertebrates consisting of one order of the same name. The closest non-hemichordate relatives of the Enteropneusta are the echinoderms. There are 111 known species of aco ...

discovered 2.5 km (about 1.5 miles) below the surface of the Atlantic ocean, and was the first of the genus ''Yoda'' found. Ranging from in length, it was named after the fictional character

Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...

from the ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' franchise.Newly Discovered Acorn Worm Named After Yoda
retrieved 2012-10-06 18:05 UTC It was the first known

hermaphroditic In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...

member within the phylum. The other known member of the phylum is Yoda Demiankoopi discovered in 2021. Even if both male and female sex organs are present, the different individuals are acting as either male or female, not both, which makes them

sequential hermaphrodite Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...

s, alternating between male and female over the course of their lives.The Hermaphrodite at the Bottom of the Sea - Nautilus Magazine
/ref>

References

External links

* Enteropneusta Animals described in 2012 Star Wars {{Hemichordate-stub