Sapphirina
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, 1849Sapphirina aureofurca Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina auronitens Claus, 1863Sapphirina bella Dana, 1849Sapphirina bicuspidata Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina clausii Sapphirina coruscans Dana, 1849Sapphirina cylindrica Lubbock, 1860Sapphirina danae Lubbock, 1856Sapphirina darwinii Haeckel, 1864Sapphirina detonsa Dana, 1849Sapphirina edwardsii Sapphirina elegans Lubbock, 1860Sapphirina fulgens Templeton, 1836Sapphirina gastrica Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina gegenbauri Sapphirina gemma Dana, 1852Sapphirina gibba Rose, 1929Sapphirina granulosa Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina inaequalis Dana, 1852Sapphirina indicator J. V. Thompson, 1829Sapphirina indigotica Dana, 1849Sapphirina intestinata Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina iris Dana, 1849Sapphirina lactens Giesbrecht, 1893Sapphirina lomae Esterly, 1905Sapphirina longifurca A. Scott, 1909Sapphirina maculosa Giesbrecht, 1893Sapphirina metallina Dana, 1849Sapphirina nigromaculata Claus, 1863Sapphirina nitens Lubbock, 1860Sapphirina obesa Dana, 1849Sapphirina obtusa Dana, 1849Sapphirina opaca Lubbock, 1856Sapphirina opalina Dana, 1849Sapphirina opalina-darwini Lehnhofer, 1929Sapphirina orientalis Dana, 1849Sapphirina ovalis Dana, 1849Sapphirina ovata Dana, 1849Sapphirina ovatolanceolata Dana, 1849Sapphirina ovatolanceolata-gemma Lehnhofer, 1929Sapphirina pachygaster Claus, 1863Sapphirina parva Lubbock, 1860Sapphirina pseudolactens Lehnhofer, 1929Sapphirina pyrosomatis Giesbrecht, 1893Sapphirina reticulata Brady, 1883Sapphirina sali Farran, 1929Sapphirina salpae Claus, 1859Sapphirina scalaris Fischer, 1860Sapphirina scarlata Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina serrata Brady, 1883Sapphirina sinuicauda Brady, 1883Sapphirina splendens Dana, 1852Sapphirina stellata Giesbrecht, 1891Sapphirina stylifera Lubbock, 1856Sapphirina tenella Dana, 1849Sapphirina thomsoni Lubbock, 1860Sapphirina uncinata Leuckart, 1853Sapphirina versicolor Dana, 1849Sapphirina vorax Giesbrecht, 1891