Family of crustaceans From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sphaeromatidae (marine pillbug family) 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]
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type genus ...
Many species have a dorsoventrally compressed body shape, often with a vaulted dorsum, and some are strongly flattened (scale-like).[2]
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]
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.
Bruce NL (2003) New genera and species of sphaeromatid isopod crustaceans from Australian marine coastal waters. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60: 309–370.
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.
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.
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