''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 living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

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 ha ...

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

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 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 wi ...

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 ''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 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'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Dana, 1852 * '' Sapphirina indicator'' J. V. Thompson, 1829 * '' Sapphirina indigotica'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina intestinata'' Giesbrecht, 1891 * ''

Sapphirina iris ''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 ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Lubbock, 1856 * ''

Sapphirina opalina ''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 ...

'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina opalina-darwini'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * '' Sapphirina orientalis'' Dana, 1849 * '' Sapphirina ovalis'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina ovata ''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 ovatolanceolata'' Dana, 1849 * ''

Sapphirina ovatolanceolata-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 ...

'' Lehnhofer, 1929 * ''

Sapphirina pachygaster ''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 is ...

'' Claus, 1863 * ''

Sapphirina parva ''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 ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Claus, 1859 * ''

Sapphirina scalaris ''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 ...

'' Fischer, 1860 * ''

Sapphirina scarlata ''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 serrata'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Lubbock, 1856 * ''

Sapphirina tenella ''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 ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Giesbrecht, 1891

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3473198 Poecilostomatoida

Description

Species

See also

References

External links