Sphaeromatidae, the seapills, 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 (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.
Description Many species have a dorsoventrally compressed body shape, often with a vaulted dorsum, and some are strongly flattened (scale-like).
Ecology Sphaeromatidae are browsers or detritus feeders. Xynosphaera appear to have incisory mandibles; Xynosphaera colemani burrows into the tissue of alcyonacean corals.Bruce NL (2003) New genera and species of sphaeromatid isopod crustaceans from Australian marine coastal waters. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60: 309–370. Some genera of Sphaeromatidae associate with sponges, particularly Oxinasphaera.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.
Genera The family contains the following genera:
Afrocerceis Müller, 1995 Agostodina Bruce, 1994 Amphoroidea H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 Amphoroidella Baker, 1908 Apemosphaera Bruce, 1994 †Archaeosphaeroma Novák, 1872 Artopoles Barnard, 1920 Austrasphaera Bruce, 2003 Beatricesphaera Wetzer & Bruce, 1999 Benthosphaera Bruce, 1994 Bilistra Sket & Bruce, 2004 Botryias Richardson, 1910 Bregmotypta Bruce, 1994 Caecocassidias Kussakin, 1967 Caecosphaeroma Dollfus, 1896 Calcipila Harrison & Holdich, 1984 Campecopea Leach, 1814 Cassidias Richardson, 1906 Cassidina H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 Cassidinella Whitelegge, 1901 Cassidinidea Hansen, 1905 Cassidinopsis Hansen, 1905 Ceratocephalus Woodward, 1877 Cerceis H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 Cercosphaera Bruce, 1994 Chitonopsis Whitelegge, 1902 Chitonosphaera Kussakin & Malyutina, 1993 Cilicaea Leach, 1818 Cilicaeopsis Hansen, 1905 Cliamenella Kussakin & Malyutina, 1987 †Cyclosphaeroma Woodward, 1890 Cymodetta Bowman & Kuhne, 1974 Cymodoce Leach, 1814 Cymodocella Pfeffer, 1887 Cymodopsis Baker, 1926 Diclidocella Bruce, 1995 Discerceis Richardson, 1905 Discidina Bruce, 1994 Dynamene Leach, 1814 Dynamenella Hansen, 1905 Dynameniscus Richardson, 1905 Dynamenoides Hurley & Jansen, 1977 Dynamenopsis Baker, 1908 Dynoides Barnard, 1914 †Eocopea Iverson & Chivers, 1984 †Eosphaeroma Woodward, 1879 Eterocerceis Messana, 1990 Exocerceis Baker, 1926 Exosphaeroides Holdich & Harrison, 1983 Exosphaeroma Stebbing, 1900 Geocerceis Menzies & Glynn, 1968 Gnorimosphaeroma Menzies, 1954 Harrieta Kensley, 1987 Haswellia Miers, 1884 Hemisphaeroma Hansen, 1905 Heterodina Schotte & Kensley, 2005 †Heterosphaeroma Munier-Chalmas, 1872 Holotelson Richardson, 1909 Ischyromene Racovitza, 1908 Miers, 1876 †Isopodites von Ammon, 1882 Juletta Bruce, 1993 Koremasphaera Bruce, 2003 Kranosphaera Bruce, 1992 Lekanesphaera Verhoeff, 1943 Leptosphaeroma Hilgendorf, 1885 Makarasphaera Bruce, 2005 Margueritta Bruce, 1993 Maricoccus Poore, 1994 Merozoon Sket, 2012 Monolistra Gerstaecker, 1856 Moruloidea Baker, 1908 Naesicopea Stebbing, 1893 Neonaesa Harrison & Holdich, 1982 Neosphaeroma Baker, 1926 Oxinasphaera Bruce, 1997 Paracassidina Baker, 1911 Paracassidinopsis Nobili, 1906 Paracerceis Hansen, 1905 Paracilicaea Stebbing, 1910 Paradella Harrison & Holdich, 1982 Paraimene Javed & Ahmed, 1988 Paraleptosphaeroma Buss & Iverson, 1981 Parasphaeroma Stebbing, 1902 Parisocladus Barnard, 1914 Pedinura Bruce, 2003 Pistorius Harrison & Holdich, 1982 Platycerceis Baker, 1926 Platynympha Harrison, 1984 Platysphaera Holdich & Harrison, 1981 Pooredoce Bruce, 2009 †Protosphaeroma Bachmayer, 1949 Pseudocerceis Harrison & Holdich, 1982 Pseudosphaeroma Chilton, 1909 Ptyosphaera Holdich & Harrison, 1983 Scutuloidea Chilton, 1883 Sphaeramene Barnard, 1914 Sphaeroma Latreille, 1802 Sphaeromopsis Holdich & Jones, 1973 Stathmos Barnard, 1940 Striella Glynn, 1968 Syncassidina Baker, 1928 Thermosphaeroma Cole & Bane, 1978 Tholozodium Eleftheriou, Holdich & Harrison, 1980 †Triassphaeroma Basso & Tintori, 1995 Waiteolana Baker, 1926 Xynosphaera Bruce, 1994 Zuzara Leach, 1818
See also Sphaeroma terebrans
References
External links
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