PORT PHILLIP BAY


Sand Skater 

Serolina delaria Poore, 1987

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Head with 3 flat, narrow lobes separated by deep grooves on posterior margin; each lobe rounded-truncate posteriorly; lateral lobes separated from eyes by deep grooves. Eye reniform, overhanging posterolateral margin of head. Pereonites 1-5 and pleonites 1-3 each with narrow acute mid-dorsal crest, largest on pleonite 1 only slightly longer than rest. Pereonites 2-4, and less obviously on 1 and 5, with lateral subtriangular lobes, all posteriorly directed. Pereonites 1-4 with 6-8 midlateral marginal rounded crenulations; pereonites 5 and 6 with only 2-3 uneven lobes. Pleotelson triangular, truncate posteriorly; with mid-dorsal crest more pronounced anteriorly.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (1987) Serolina, a new genus for Serolis minuta Beddard (Crustacea: Isopoda: Serolidae) with descriptions of eight new species from Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, 48, 141-189.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Peracarida
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Sphaeromatidea
Superfamily:
Seroloidea
Family:
Serolidae
Genus:
Serolina
Species:
delaria

General Description

Body very flat and round, head inset into the first body segment with a pair of kidney shaped eyes on top. Body segments with strong ridge of midlateral crenulations. The first legs are a pair of solid claws. Up to 9 mm long.

Biology

Sand skaters use their discoid shape and camouflage to swim and walk about invisibly on the surface of sand in marine environments. They feed on the organic matter found in the sand. They are sometimes likened to extinct fossil trilobites but the resemblance of course is no more than superficial. Deep water and some Antarctic relatives grow to 10 cm long.

Habitat

Subtidal sand and mud, 0-40 m depth.

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including south-eastern Australia.

Species Group

Microcrustaceans › Isopods

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

9 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 1652

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, Sand Skater, Serolina delaria, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5344

Text: creative commons cc by licence