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 partially due to structural coloration 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 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 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 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 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
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