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Sea Sapphire — printable fact sheet
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Sea Sapphire
Sapphirina metallina
The Sea Sapphire is a mesmerizing marine copepod known for its remarkable iridescent coloration, which can shimmer with vibrant flashes of blue, green, or gold. This small invertebrate is famous for the males' ability to seemingly disappear or flash brilliant colors depending on…
Did you know?
- Sea Sapphires are among the few animals whose coloration is produced entirely by optical interference, not pigments.
- Male Sea Sapphires can shift from visible to nearly invisible through microscopic crystal structures in their skin; Only the males display the stunning iridescent coloration, while females are almost completely transparent; Their flashes of color have inspired legends of underwater 'diamonds' or 'fairy dust' among sailors.
What I learned
Draw the sea sapphire
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