Maristella is a genus of ostracods belonging to the Myodocopida (Cypridinidae).[2] The genus belongs to a diverse clade of Caribbean bioluminescent ostracods. Males perform species-specific luminescent courtship displays. It was chosen as one of the top ten species of 2019: WoRMS top 10 - 2019: Maristella chicoi. The video showing these light displays can be seen here.
| Maristella | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Ostracoda |
| Order: | Myodocopida |
| Family: | Cypridinidae |
| Subfamily: | Cypridininae |
| Genus: | Maristella Reda & Gerrish, 2019 |
| Type species | |
| Maristella chicoi Reda & Gerrish, 2019
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| Species[1] | |
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See text | |
Maristella is with seven species the most species-rich genus of the family.[1] Other genera include Enewton, Photeros, Konickeria and Vargula. Maristella means 'star of the sea'. Maristella is the only genus with lateral or diagonal luminescent courtship displays.
Species
edit- Maristella chicoi Reda et al., 2019 - Belize
- Maristella ignitula (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
- Maristella lucidella (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
- Maristella micamacula (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
- Maristella noropsela (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
- Maristella psammobia (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
- Maristella scintilla (Cohen & Morin, 1989) - Panama
References
edit- ^ a b "Maristella". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Reda, NJ; Morin, JG; Torres, E; Cohen, AC; Schawaroch, V; Gerrish, GA (14 Nov 2019). "Maristella, a new bioluminescent ostracod genus in the Myodocopida (Cypridinidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 187 (4): 1078–1118. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz082.