''Aphrodita'' is a genus of Ocean, marine polychaete worms found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Several members of the genus are known as "sea mice".

Etymology

The name of the genus is taken from Aphrodite, 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.

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 ''wikt:seta, setae'' (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 Photonics, photonic engineering by a living organism". This structural coloration is a antipredator adaptation, defense mechanism, giving a aposematism, 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 fiber, optical fibres.

Feeding

''Aphrodita'' are typically scavengers. However, ''Aphrodita aculeata'' is an active predator, feeding primarily on small crabs, hermit crabs, and other polychaete worms such as ''Pectinaria (annelid), Pectinaria''.

Species

Species recognized by the World Register of Marine Species: *''Aphrodita abyssalis'' Kirkegaard, 1996 *''Aphrodita aculeata'' 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