PORT PHILLIP BAY


Sea Centipede 

Euidotea bakeri (Collinge, 1917)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Body at most 6 times as long as wide, smooth, head narrower than pereonite 1, with dorsal boss; body widest at pereonite 4. Pleon without articulating pleonites, pleonite 1 suture lateral only (pleotelsonic formula 0 + 3). Antenna 2 multiarticulate. Mandible, maxillae 1 and 2 typical. Maxillipedal endite with apical setation; palp broad, articles 4 and 5 fused, rarely articles 2 and 3 fused. Coxae 2-7 with non-contiguous non-articulating, dorsal coxal plates more visible posteriorly than anteriorly. Pereopods with transverse clusters of spiniform setae on palm of merus, carpus and propodus, much reduced on more posterior pereopods. Penes fused at base, attached ventrally or near posterior margin of pleonite 1. Oostegites lamellar on pereopods 1-5.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. & Lew Ton, H.M. (1993) Idoteidae of Australia and New Zealand (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera). Invertebrate Taxonomy, 7, 197-278.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Peracarida
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Valvifera
Family:
Idoteidae
Genus:
Euidotea
Species:
bakeri

General Description

Body at most 6 times as long as wide; pleon not especially tapering; head with dorsal boss; 2-3 pleonites visible dorsally. Pleonite 1 suture obscured by dorsal coxal plate 7. Pereonite 1 without shoulders, as wide as pereonite 2; pereonites 1-4 usually with dorsolateral sculpture. Pleotelson lateral margins convex, without posterolateral angles (except small individuals). Dorsal coxal plates not visible on posterior pereonites; first pleonite not longer than others. Body up to 2.5 cm long.

Biology

Eudidotea bakeri is one of the most frequently encountered idoteids from shallow algal communities of southern Australia. Known as sea centipedes they live and feed on decaying seaweed.

Habitat

Seagrass beds to depths of 17 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Microcrustaceans › Isopods

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

2.5 cm

Diet

Herbivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 958

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, Euidotea bakeri, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5317

Text: creative commons cc by licence