Cirolana harfordi, or Harford's isopod, is a species of a marine crustacean in the order Isopoda. It is found in mussel beds, under rocks, and on sandy beaches in the Pacific Ocean.[2] The species was originally described by William N. Lockington in 1877 under the name Aega harfordii.[3]
Cirolana harfordi has an oval, dorsoventrally compressed body, and a pair of antennae, which it uses for finding food and mates.[4] Its body is generally white with fine brown spots, and it can reach up to 2 cm in length.[5]
Ecology
Cirolana harfordi can be described as both a scavenger and a predator, feeding on crustaceans and polychaetes, particularly Syllis fasciata.[6] The food from one meal can fill the isopod's elastic digestive system and can nutritionally sustain this organism for three weeks.[6]
Life cycle
Female Cirolana harfordi will give birth one or two times during their two-year lifespan.[5] Like all members of the superorder Peracarida, they lay their eggs directly into a special pouch called the marsupium, located between the 3rd and 6th walking legs.[7] The young are brooded here for 3 to 4 months while they undergo several molts, after which they emerge as mancae, or juveniles that closely resemble the adult form.[2][6] Each brood contains 18 to 68 young.[6]
Human interactions
When Cirolana harfordi group into large aggregations, they can become a concern for humans and fisheries.[5] The isopods can attack living fish, especially those cultured in nets or caught in traps, and kill them.[8] There is also at least one report of a C. harfordi swarm biting and hospitalizing a teenager in Melbourne, Australia.[9] The species does not usually reach aggregation densities great enough to pose a concern, but in Australia, C. harfordi is an invasive species and lacks natural predators to limit its population growth.[5]
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