Sapphirinidae is a family of parasitic copepods in the order Cyclopoida.[1]

Sapphirinidae
Sapphirina darwinii with egg cases
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Copepoda
Order: Cyclopoida
Suborder: Ergasilida
Family: Sapphirinidae
Thorell, 1859
Genera

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Description

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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 attract the attention of females in order to mate.[2]

Genera

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The family Sapphirinidae consists of the following genera:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b WoRMS. "Sapphirinidae Thorell, 1859". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ Gasca,Browne, Rebeca, William E (2017). "Symbiotic associations of crustaceans and a pycnogonid with gelatinous zooplankton in the Gulf of California". Marine Biodiversity. 48 (4): 1767–1775. doi:10.1007/s12526-017-0668-5. S2CID 17473587.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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