Sphaeromatidae

Last updated

Sphaeromatidae
Gnorimosphaeroma oregonensis - o2.jpg
Gnorimosphaeroma oregonense
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Sphaeromatidea
Superfamily: Sphaeromatoidea
Family: Sphaeromatidae
Latreille, 1825
Type genus
Sphaeroma
Lekanesphaera rugicauda ? Lekanesphaera rugicauda, France 1.jpg
Lekanesphaera rugicauda ?

Sphaeromatidae is a family of isopods, often encountered on rocky shores and in shelf waters in temperate zones. [1] The family includes almost 100 genera and 619 known marine species (and about 65 in fresh water). Within these genera, there are groups that share distinctive morphologies; further research may reclassify these genus-groups as separate families. [2]

Contents

Description

Many species have a dorsoventrally compressed body shape, often with a vaulted dorsum, and some are strongly flattened (scale-like). [2]

Ecology

Sphaeromatidae are browsers or detritus feeders. Xynosphaera appear to have incisory mandibles; [2] Xynosphaera colemani burrows into the tissue of alcyonacean corals. [3] Some genera of Sphaeromatidae associate with sponges, particularly Oxinasphaera. [4]

Genera

The family contains the following genera: [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Poore, Gary CB; Lew Ton, Helen M; Bruce, Niel L. (2002). "Sphaeromatidae Latreille, 1825". In Poore, Gary C. B. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19. Csiro Publishing. p. 221.
  2. 1 2 3 Poore, Gary C. B.; Bruce, Niel L. (September 2012). "Global Diversity of Marine Isopods (Except Asellota and Crustacean Symbionts)". PLOS ONE. 7 (9): e43529. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043529 . PMC   3432053 . PMID   22952700.
  3. ↑ Bruce NL (2003) New genera and species of sphaeromatid isopod crustaceans from Australian marine coastal waters. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60: 309–370.
  4. ↑ Bruce NL (1997) Order Isopoda. Sea Lice. In: Richmond MD, editor. A guide to the seashores of eastern Africa and the western Indian Ocean Islands: SIDA/SAREC. pp. 198–201.
  5. ↑ Niel L. Bruce & Marilyn Schotte (2011). M. Schotte; C. B. Boyko; N. L. Bruce; G. C. B. Poore; S. Taiti & G. D. F. Wilson (eds.). "Sphaeromatidae". World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved August 31, 2011.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.