| Sphaeromatidea Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gnorimosphaeroma oregonensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Suborder: | Sphaeromatidea Wägele, 1989 |
| Superfamilies | |
Sphaeromatidea is a suborder of isopod crustaceans. [2]
The suborder contains seven extant and three extinct families in two superfamilies: [3]
Isopoda is an order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called Isopods and include both terrestrial and aquatic species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and five pairs of branching appendages on the abdomen that are used in respiration. Females brood their young in a pouch under their thorax.
The superorder Peracarida is a large group of malacostracan crustaceans, having members in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. They are chiefly defined by the presence of a brood pouch, or marsupium, formed from thin flattened plates (oostegites) borne on the basalmost segments of the legs. Peracarida is one of the largest crustacean taxa and includes about 12,000 species. Most members are less than 2 cm (0.8 in) in length, but the largest is probably the giant isopod which can reach 76 cm (30 in). The earliest known perecaridian was Oxyuropoda ligioides, a fossil of which has been found dating to the Late Devonian of Ireland.
The Gnathiidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They occur in a wide range of depths, from the littoral zone to the deep sea. The adults are associated with sponges and may not feed. The juvenile form is known as a 'praniza', and it is a temporary parasite of marine fish. These forms are not larvae; Gnathiidae instead become parasitic during the manca stage. Mancae of the Gnathiidae closely resemble the adult form, however they lack the final pair of pereiopods.
Sphaeromatidae is a family of isopods, often encountered on rocky shores and in shelf waters in temperate zones. The family includes almost 100 genera and 619 known marine species. Within these genera, there are groups that share distinctive morphologies; further research may reclassify these genus-groups as separate families.
Epicaridea is a former suborder of isopods, now treated as an infraorder in suborder Cymothoida. They are ectoparasites that inhabit other crustaceans, namely ostracods, copepods, barnacles and malacostracans. Epicarideans are found globally. Epicaridea are generally less well researched than other isopods.
Anthuroidea is a superfamily of isopod crustaceans, formerly treated as a suborder, Anthuridea. The group is characterised by "an elongate cylindrical body form, without dorsal coxal plates, and with a uropodal exopod attached to the peduncle proximally and dorsally". There are more than 500 described species in 57 genera, arranged across six families:
Pentidotea wosnesenskii is a marine isopod which lives on seaweed on rocky shores along the British Columbia and Washington coastlines, as far south as San Francisco. It can often be found hiding under rockweed in the intertidal zone, and can be found in depths up to 919 metres (3,015 ft). It was described as Idotea wosnesenskii in 1851, by Johann Friedrich von Brandt, and is named after the Russian biologist Ilya G. Voznesensky. The isopod grows up to 4 centimetres in length and is usually green in colour.
Archaeoniscus is a genus of prehistoric isopods that first appeared during the Bajocian stage of the Middle Jurassic. It is a widespread genus with a paleogeographic distribution encompassing the continental margin environments of the central Atlantic Ocean and the western Tethys Ocean. Fossils of Archaeoniscus suggest that this genus lived in diverse aquatic habitats, including the marine, paralic, and freshwater environments. While earlier descriptions suggested that it may have had an ectoparasitic association with fishes, some researchers argue that at least two species, A. aranguthyorum and A. coreaensis, lived a benthic free-living lifestyle based on morphological characteristics that are either unsuitable for or unrelated to parasitic behavior.
Idotea is a genus of isopod crustaceans, mostly from cold temperate waters. The taxonomy of the genus is still in doubt, and many of the currently recognised species may be taxonomic synonyms, and others may be moved to different genera.
The Microcerberidea are a suborder of isopod crustaceans. They are less than 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and live interstitially. They may be found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and around the coasts of South America, Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and India.
Cymothoida is the name of a suborder of isopod crustaceans with a mostly carnivorous or parasitic lifestyle. It contains more than 2,700 described species in four superfamilies. Members of the suborder are characterised by their specialised mouthparts which include a mandible with a tooth-like process which is adapted for cutting or slicing.
Phoratopus remex is a species of isopod crustaceans known from only two specimens, and first described in 1925 by Herbert Matthew Hale (1895–1963). It lives on the continental shelf at Encounter Bay and Fowlers Bay, South Australia. It is so unlike all other isopods that it is placed in its own family, Phoratopodidae and suborder, Phoratopidea.
The Bopyridae are a family of isopod crustaceans in the suborder Cymothoida. There are 1223 individual species contained in this family. Members of the family are ectoparasites of crabs and shrimp. They live in the gill cavities or under the carapace where they cause a noticeable swelling. Fossil crustaceans have occasionally been observed to have a similar characteristic bulge.
The Chaetiliidae are a family of isopod crustaceans in the suborder Valvifera, comprising these genera:
Serolidae is a family of isopod crustaceans, containing the following genera :
The Arcturidae are a family of marine isopod crustaceans in the suborder Valvifera. Members of the family resemble woodlice and are found globally in cooler areas in shallow seas.
Uromunna is a genus of isopod crustaceans.
The clade Multicrustacea constitutes the largest superclass of crustaceans, containing approximately four-fifths of all described crustacean species, including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, prawns, woodlice, barnacles, copepods, amphipods, mantis shrimp and others. The largest branch of multicrustacea is the class Malacostraca.
Anuropus is a genus of isopods in the suborder Cymothoida. As of 2021, it is the only genus in the family Anuropidae.
The Limnoriidea are a suborder of marine isopod crustaceans.
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