PORT PHILLIP BAY


Sea Centipede 

Paridotea munda Hale, 1924

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Body about 5 times as long as wide, smooth, head only slightly narrower than pereonite 1, body more or less parallel-sided. Pleon without articulating pleonites, pleonite 1 indicated ventrolaterally only, sometimes dorsally, pleonites 2 or 2 and 3 indicated by suture laterally only (pleotelsonic formula 0 + 3); pleotelson apex clearly excavate. Antenna 2 multiarticulate. Mandible, maxillae 1 and 2 typical. Maxillipedal endite with apical setation; palp digitiform, 5 articles free. Coxae 2-7 with non-contiguous, non-articulating dorsal coxal plates usually more visible posteriorly. Pereopods with 1-2 spiniform setae on only palm of propodi, sometimes absent on more posterior pereopods, W-shaped ridge between bases of pereopods 7. Penes fused basally, attached to 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:
Paridotea
Species:
munda

General Description

Body about 5 times as long as wide. Head 1.8 times as wide as long, front slightly excavate medially. Dorsal coxal plates 5 and 6 reaching posterior margin of tergites (in oblique lateral view); dorsal coxal plate 7 acute and clearly exceeding posterior margin of tergite; pleotelson apical excavation almost as deep as wide (except in small individuals), posterolateral angles rounded. Body up to 3 cm long.

Biology

Paridotea munda is the commonest species of its genus in Victoria and South Australia and is most easily recognised by the excavate margin of the last segment (pleotelson). This species belongs to one of the few families of herbivorous isopods. It can camouflage itself according to the colour of the marine algae in which it lives.

Habitat

Intertidal algae, to depths of 22 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

3 cm

Diet

Herbivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 1654

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, Paridotea munda, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Sep 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5320

Text: creative commons cc by licence