Aphrodita

The name of the genus is taken from Aphrodite, the Ancient Greek goddess of love, said to be because of a resemblance to human female genitalia. The English name may derive from the animal's similarity, when washed up on shore, to a bedraggled house mouse.

Aphrodita adults generally fall within a size range of 7.5 to 15 centimetres (3.0 to 5.9 in), with some growing to 30 centimetres (12 in). The body is covered in a dense mat of parapodia and setae (hairlike structures). The animal lacks eyes, feeling its way with two pairs of appendages close to the mouth. Several small, bristly, paddle-like appendages provide locomotion. Aphrodita are hermaphroditic, having functional reproductive organs of both sexes, with the eggs of one individual being fertilised by the sperm of another.

The spines, or setae on the back of the animal are a unique feature. Normally, these have a deep red sheen. But when light shines on them perpendicularly, they flush green and blue, a "remarkable example of photonic engineering by a living organism". This structural coloration is a defense mechanism, giving a warning signal to potential predators. The effect is produced by many hexagonal cylinders within the spines, which are said to perform much more efficiently than man-made optical fibres.

Aphrodita are typically scavengers. However, Aphrodita aculeata is an active predator, feeding primarily on small crabs, hermit crabs, and other polychaete worms such as Pectinaria.

Species recognized by the World Register of Marine Species:

• Aphrodita abyssalis Kirkegaard, 1996
• Aphrodita aculeata Linnaeus, 1758
• Aphrodita acuminata Ehlers, 1887
• Aphrodita alta Kinberg, 1856
• Aphrodita annulata Pennant, 1777
• Aphrodita aphroditoides (McIntosh, 1885)
• Aphrodita armifera Moore, 1910
• Aphrodita audouini Castelnau, 1842
• Aphrodita australis Baird, 1865
• Aphrodita bamarookis Hutchings & McRae, 1993
• Aphrodita bisetosa Rozbaczylo & Canahuire, 2000
• Aphrodita brevitentaculata Essenberg, 1917
• Aphrodita californica Essenberg, 1917
• Aphrodita clavigera Freminville, 1812
• Aphrodita daiyumaruae Imajima, 2005
• Aphrodita decipiens (Horst, 1916)
• Aphrodita defendens Chamberlin, 1919
• Aphrodita diplops Fauchald, 1977
• Aphrodita echidna Quatrefages, 1866
• Aphrodita elliptica
• Aphrodita falcifera Hartman, 1939
• Aphrodita goolmarris Hutchings & McRae, 1993
• Aphrodita hoptakero Otto in Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832
• Aphrodita japonica Marenzeller, 1879
• Aphrodita kulmaris Hutchings & McRae, 1993
• Aphrodita limosa (Horst, 1916)
• Aphrodita longicornis Kinberg, 1855
• Aphrodita longipalpa Essenberg, 1917
• Aphrodita macroculata Imajima, 2001
• Aphrodita magellanica Malard, 1891
• Aphrodita malayana (Horst, 1916)
• Aphrodita malkaris Hutchings & McRae, 1993
• Aphrodita maorica Benham, 1900
• Aphrodita marombis Hutchings & McRae, 1993
• Aphrodita mexicana Kudenov, 1975
• Aphrodita modesta Quatrefages, 1866
• Aphrodita negligens Moore, 1905
• Aphrodita nipponensis Imajima, 2003
• Aphrodita obtecta Ehlers, 1887
• Aphrodita parva Moore, 1905
• Aphrodita perarmata Roule, 1898
• Aphrodita refulgida Moore, 1910
• Aphrodita rossi Knox & Cameron, 1998
• Aphrodita roulei Horst, 1917
• Aphrodita scolopendra Bruguière, 1789
• Aphrodita sericea Castelnau, 1842
• Aphrodita sibogae (Horst, 1916)
• Aphrodita sondaica Grube, 1875
• Aphrodita sonorae Kudenov, 1975
• Aphrodita talpa Quatrefages, 1866
• Aphrodita terraereginae Haswell, 1883
• Aphrodita tosaensis Imajima, 2001
• Aphrodita watasei Izuka, 1912