PORT PHILLIP BAY


Sea Centipede 

Haliophasma yarra Poore, 1975

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Head much longer than wide, narrowing anteriorly, not pitted; rostrum very broad and short, as long as anterolateral lobes; cheek with a straight ventral margin, sharp anterior corner; eyes dark. Pereon with distinct simple dorsolateral grooves, with few lateral pits. Pereonite 1 wlthout ventral keel. Pereonites 4-6 with an anterior transverse groove close to preceding segment; elongate dorsal pit. Pleonite 1-5 with shallow dorsolateral groove not extending back to posterior margin. Pleonite 6 distinct from telson and elevated from it. Telson with a smooth dome on the distal half flattening posteriorly and tapering to a bluntly rounded medial ridge anteriorly. Uropod peduncle without a medial lobe; endopod not reaching to end of telson, medial margin straight, convex lateral margin; exopods meeting mid-dorsally over telson, produced to an acute apex separated from dorsal part by a sharp angle, longer than peduncle.

Antenna 2, article 2 long, dorsal flange little narrower than half width of front of head; flagellum of 5 articles, about as long as peduncle article 5. Mandible with a short molar bearing a small accessory tooth; palp much longer than incisor, article 2 longest bearing 1 long subterminal seta and 2 lateral setae, article 3 narrow, curved, with a transverse row of 6 setae. Maxilla narrow,
sharply curved; 6 hooks and 1 spine. Maxilliped articles 2, 3 broad, produced laterally; article 3 almost truncate terminally, medial margin with 10 short setae, ventral face with 2 proximal setae and pair + 1 near distal suture; article 4 small, ovoid, subterminal, level with end of 3, with 3 setae. Pereopod 1 with an almost-straight, blade-like palm on axis of limb, densely setose medially and a few setae on lateral edge of palm; unguis 0.4 length of dactylus.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (1975) Australian species of Haliophasma (Crustacea: Isopoda: Anthuridae). Records of the Australian Museum, 29, 503-533.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Peracarida
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Cymothoida
Superfamily:
Anthuroidea
Family:
Anthuridae
Genus:
Haliophasma
Species:
yarra

General Description

Head much longer than wide; rostrum very broad and short, as long as anterolateral lobes. Pereopod 1 with straight palm on axis of limb. Pereon and pleon weakly or not pitted laterally and dorsally. Exopod of uropod with sinuous dorsal margin, not cleft; maxilliped article 4 level with corner of article 3. Telson not sculptured or ridged dorsally, a simple dome.

Biology

This isopod is an active predator that uses its hook-like hands to grasp its prey and its biting mouthparts to make a meal of it. Males have longer antennae and larger eyes than juveniles or females and can swim in search of mates. The Anthuridae and similar families are common and diverse on sandy and muddy sediments and can build tubes.

Habitat

Silty sand sediments, at depths of 3-22 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Microcrustaceans › Isopods

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

22 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 965

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Poore, G.C.B.

Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Sea Centipede, Haliophasma yarra, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5302

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