Suborder Valvifera - Valve-tailed Isopods

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans)

Class Malacostraca (Malacostracans)

Superorder Peracarida (Marsupial Crustaceans)

Order Isopoda (Isopods)

No Taxon (Scutocoxifera)

Suborder Valvifera (Valve-tailed Isopods)

Other Common Names

Valviferans

Explanation of Names

Author: Sars, 1882

Numbers

600 species in 12 families worldwide; 92 species in 7 families in our area

Identification

Easily identified by the uropods being flattened and folded under the telson to form an operculum over the pleopods.

This group is split into two main groups, the Arcturoids and the Idoteoids (the latter which is not monophyletic), which are easily told apart by if the first segment is fused to the head (Arcturoids) or not (Idoteoids).(1) Most of the conspicous and showy species of Valviferans that people run across in North America are Idoteoids, while Arcturoids tend to be less conspicous or occur at deeper depths that aren't as accessible to most people

Range

cosmopolitan, in North America occuring along all coasts and even major coastal freshwater waterways in the East

Remarks

Families in North America:

ARCTUROIDS

Antarcturidae

Arcturidae

Austrarcturellidae

Thermoarcturidae

IDOTEOIDS

Chaetiliidae - one species in this family (Chiridotea coeca) is frequently found on the east coast along high-energy beaches

Holognathidae

Idoteidae - most species found will be in this family

Internet References

WoRMS Page

Works Cited

1.	Idotea Valvifera: Diagnoses and Relationships of the Families Gary C. B. Poore. 2001. Journal of Crustacean Biology.

Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 24 November, 2009 - 4:43am
Additional contributions by Astrobirder
Last updated 23 August, 2021 - 12:06pm

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