''Aphrodita'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of marine

polychaete Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine Annelid, annelid worms, common name, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called c ...

worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateria, bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limb (anatomy), limbs, and usually no eyes. Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine ...

s found in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and the Atlantic Ocean. Several members of the genus are known as "sea mice".

Etymology

The name of the genus is taken from

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

, the Ancient Greek goddess of love, said to be because of a resemblance to human female genitalia. The English name may derive from the animal's similarity, when washed up on shore, to a bedraggled

house mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the rodent family Muridae, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus '' Mus''. A ...

Description

''Aphrodita'' adults generally fall within a size range of , with some growing to . The body is covered in a dense mat of parapodia and ''

setae In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae ...

'' (hairlike structures). The animal lacks eyes, feeling its way with two pairs of appendages close to the mouth. Several small, bristly, paddle-like appendages provide locomotion. ''Aphrodita'' are hermaphroditic, having functional reproductive organs of both sexes, with the eggs of one individual being fertilised by the sperm of another.

Structural coloration

The spines, or ''setae'' on the back of the animal are a unique feature. Normally, these have a deep red sheen. But when light shines on them perpendicularly, they flush green and blue – a "remarkable example of

photonic Photonics is a branch of optics that involves the application of generation, detection, and manipulation of light in the form of photons through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and sensing. Eve ...

engineering by a living organism". This

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 Biological pigment, pigments, although some structural coloration occu ...

is a

defense mechanism In psychoanalytic theory, defence mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that protect the self from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and external stressors. According to this theory, healthy ...

, giving a warning signal to potential predators. The effect is produced by many hexagonal cylinders within the spines, which are said to perform much more efficiently than man-made

optical fibres An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...

Feeding

''Aphrodita'' are typically scavengers. However, ''

Aphrodita aculeata ''Aphrodita aculeata'', the sea mouse, is a ocean, marine polychaete worm found in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, North, Baltic Sea, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas. The sea mouse normally lies buried head-first in the sand. It has ...

'' is an active predator, feeding primarily on small crabs, hermit crabs, and other

worms such as '' Pectinaria''.

Species

Species recognized by the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

: *'' Aphrodita abyssalis'' Kirkegaard, 1996 *''

'' Linnaeus, 1758 *'' Aphrodita acuminata'' Ehlers, 1887 *'' Aphrodita alta'' Kinberg, 1856 *'' Aphrodita annulata'' Pennant, 1777 *'' Aphrodita aphroditoides'' (McIntosh, 1885) *'' Aphrodita armifera'' Moore, 1910 *'' Aphrodita audouini'' Castelnau, 1842<'small> *'' Aphrodita australis'' Baird, 1865 *'' Aphrodita bamarookis'' Hutchings & McRae, 1993 *'' Aphrodita bisetosa'' Rozbaczylo & Canahuire, 2000 *'' Aphrodita brevitentaculata'' Essenberg, 1917 *'' Aphrodita californica'' Essenberg, 1917 *'' Aphrodita clavigera'' Freminville, 1812 *'' Aphrodita daiyumaruae'' Imajima, 2005 *'' Aphrodita decipiens'' (Horst, 1916) *'' Aphrodita defendens'' Chamberlin, 1919 *'' Aphrodita diplops'' Fauchald, 1977 *'' Aphrodita echidna'' Quatrefages, 1866 *'' Aphrodita elliptica'' *'' Aphrodita falcifera'' Hartman, 1939 *'' Aphrodita goolmarris'' Hutchings & McRae, 1993 *'' Aphrodita hoptakero'' Otto in Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832 *'' Aphrodita japonica'' Marenzeller, 1879 *'' Aphrodita kulmaris'' Hutchings & McRae, 1993 *'' Aphrodita limosa'' (Horst, 1916) *'' Aphrodita longicornis'' Kinberg, 1855 *'' Aphrodita longipalpa'' Essenberg, 1917 *'' Aphrodita macroculata'' Imajima, 2001 *'' Aphrodita magellanica'' Malard, 1891 *'' Aphrodita malayana'' (Horst, 1916) *'' Aphrodita malkaris'' Hutchings & McRae, 1993 *'' Aphrodita maorica'' Benham, 1900 *'' Aphrodita marombis'' Hutchings & McRae, 1993 *'' Aphrodita mexicana'' Kudenov, 1975 *'' Aphrodita modesta'' Quatrefages, 1866 *'' Aphrodita negligens'' Moore, 1905 *'' Aphrodita nipponensis'' Imajima, 2003 *'' Aphrodita obtecta'' Ehlers, 1887 *'' Aphrodita parva'' Moore, 1905 *'' Aphrodita perarmata'' Roule, 1898 *'' Aphrodita refulgida'' Moore, 1910 *'' Aphrodita rossi'' Knox & Cameron, 1998 *'' Aphrodita roulei'' Horst, 1917 *'' Aphrodita scolopendra'' Bruguière, 1789 *'' Aphrodita sericea'' Castelnau, 1842 *'' Aphrodita sibogae'' (Horst, 1916) *'' Aphrodita sondaica'' Grube, 1875 *'' Aphrodita sonorae'' Kudenov, 1975 *'' Aphrodita talpa'' Quatrefages, 1866 *'' Aphrodita terraereginae'' Haswell, 1883 *'' Aphrodita tosaensis'' Imajima, 2001 *'' Aphrodita watasei'' Izuka, 1912

References

External links

Sea Mouse images

A Natural Photonic Crystal
{{Authority control Phyllodocida