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Isopoda

(Order)

Overview

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Isopods are one of the most diverse orders of , with many species living in all environments, but are most common in shallow marine waters. Unlike most crustaceans, isopods are successful on land (suborder Oniscidea, woodlice, which also includes sea slaters), although their greatest diversity remains in the deep sea (suborder Asellota). There are also several parasitic species within the genus Cymothoa, commonly known as "tongue-biters" for their habit of nibbling off fishes' tongues and attaching themselves to the floor of the host's mouth. The isopods are an ancient group with fossils known from the Carboniferous (suborder Phreatoicidea, family Paleophreatoicidae) that only differ slightly from modern southern hemisphere freshwater phreatoicideans. There are 4000 known species1].

Appearance

Isopods have three main body parts; the head, thorax, and abdomen. They have one prominent pair of antennae which are used to search and taste and smell food and have a second pair which are not seen, and seven pairs of legs. Isopods have seven separate appendages on the thorax and paired appendages at the end of the abdomen called uropods. Isopods vary in color from dark gray to white, with and without pattern.

Other Names

Various colloquial names for assorted Isopoda include Woodlouse, Roly-Poly, sowbug, and potato bug. They are also called Pill Bugs.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Order Isopoda is further organized into finer groupings including:

Families

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Acanthaspidiidae

[more]

Actaeciidae

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Aegidae

[more]

Agnaridae

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Alloniscidae

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Amphisopodidae

[more]

Ancinidae

[more]

Antarcturidae

[more]

Antheluridae

[more]

Anthuridae

[more]

Anuropidae

[more]

Arcturidae

[more]

Arcturididae

[more]

Armadillidae

[more]

Armadillidiidae

Armadillidiidae is a of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of the family Porcellionidae, members of this family can roll into a ball, giving them their common name of "pill bug", "Woodlouse", "potato bug", "doodlebug", or the more recent and increasingly popularized term, "roly-poly", which has been used regionally as early as 1968. Uncited references also date use of the term in Texas as early as 1925. [more]

Asellidae

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Atlantasellidae

Atlantasellus is a genus of , and the only member of the family Atlantasellidae . It contains the following species: [more]

Austrarcturellidae

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Balloniscidae

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Barybrotidae

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Bathynataliidae

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Bathytropidae

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Berytoniscidae

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Bopyridae

[more]

Buddelundiellidae

Buddelundiellidae are a family of (woodlice). [more]

Cabiropidae

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Calabozoidae

[more]

Chaetiliidae

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Cirolanidae

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Corallanidae

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Crinoniscidae

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Cryptoniscidae

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Cylisticidae

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Cymothoidae

Cymothoidae is a of isopods. Several species are parasites, usually of fish. These include the bizarre "tongue-biter", Cymothoa exigua. [more]

Cyproniscidae

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Dajidae

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Delatorreidae

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Dendrotiidae

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Dendrotionidae

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Desmosomatidae

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Detonidae

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Dubioniscidae

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Echinothambematidae

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Entoniscidae

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Eubelidae

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Eurycopidae

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Expanathuridae

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Gnathidae

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Gnathiidae

Gnathiidae is a of crustaceans. Many species belonging to the Gnathiidae are parasites of fish. [more]

Gnathostenetroididae

[more]

Hadromastacidae

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Halophilosciidae

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Haplomunnidae

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Haploniscidae

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Hekelidae

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Hemioniscidae

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Holidoteidae

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Holognathidae

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Hypsimetopodidae

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Hyssuridae

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Idoteidae

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Ilyarachnidae

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Irmaosidae

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Ischnomesidae

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Janirellidae

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Janiridae

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Joeropsididae

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Katianiridae

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Keuphyliidae

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Leptanthuridae

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Ligiidae

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Limnoriidae

A Gribble is a french hillbilly. [more]

Macrostylidae

[more]

Mesoniscidae

[more]

Mesosignidae

[more]

Microcerberidae

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Microparasellidae

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Mictosomatidae

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Munnidae

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Munnopsidae

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Munnopsididae

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Nannoniscidae

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Nichollsiidae

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Olibrinidae

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Oniscidae

[more]

Paramunnidae

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Paranthuridae

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Philosciidae

A Family in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Phoratopodidae

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Phreatoicidae

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Phreatoicopsidae

[more]

Plakarthriidae

[more]

Platyarthridae

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Pleurocopidae

[more]

Ponderellidae

[more]

Porcellionidae

Porcellionidae is a terrestrial family of the order . The species classified here cannot roll into a ball, as opposed to the species of family Armadillidiidae, which can. [more]

Protognathiidae

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Protojaniridae

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Pseudarmadillidae

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Pseudidotheidae

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Pseudojaniridae

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Pseudomesidae

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Pudeoniscidae

[more]

Rectarcturidae

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Rhyscotidae

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Santiidae

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Schoebliidae

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Scleropactidae

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Scyphacidae

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Serolidae

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Spelaeoniscidae

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Sphaeromatidae

Sphaeromatidae is a of isopods. [more]

Sphaeroniscidae

[more]

Stenasellidae

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Stenetriidae

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Stenoniscidae

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Styloniscidae

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Tainisopidae

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Tecticipitidae

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Tendosphaeridae

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Thambematidae

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Titaniidae

[more]

Trachelipodidae

[more]

Trichoniscidae

Trichoniscidae are a family of (woodlice). [more]

Tridentellidae

[more]

Turanoniscidae

[more]

Tylidae

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Vermectiadidae

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Xenarcturidae

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Xenosellidae

[more]

More info about the Family Xenosellidae may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Walters, Martin & Johnson, Jinny. The World of Animals. Bath, Somerset: Parragon, 2007.

Sources

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Last Revised: November 19, 2008