Myopiarolis tona: A new species of Isopod Crustacian from the west coast of New Zealand.

The Serolidae are a group of Marine Isopod Crustaceans found predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere. Most species are found between the subtidal zone and about 2000, but one species has been found slightly bellow 5000 m. Serolids range in size from a few millimeters in size, to about 5 cm, with the largest species being found in Antarctic waters.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 10 December 2015, Karen Spong of Coasts and Oceans at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and Niel Bruce of the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences at James Cook University describe a new species of Serolid Isopod from waters off the west coast of New Zealand.

The new species is placed in the genus Myopiarolis and given the specific name tona, a Maori word meaning 'nodule' in reference to a prominent nodule on a section of fused thoracic segments. The species is described from five male and three female specimens collected from depths of between 634 and 1248 m on the South Lord Howe Rise, Challenger Plateau and waters off the coast of New Plymouth. Males of the species ranged from 7.5 to 8.5 mm in length, females from 9.00 to 10.00.

Myopiarolis tona, male specimen in dorsal view. Spong & Bruce (2015).

See also...

A parasitic Cymothoid Isopod from the Virgin Islands.                                                         Cymothoids are Isopod Crustaceans, related...

A fossil Isopod Crustacean from the Early Miocene of the Vienna Basin.                  Isopods are one of the most numerous and diverse groups of Crustaceans in modern environments, but while preserved specimens are known from as far back as the Carboniferous, they have a limited presence in the fossil record, largely because their exoskeletons are only very lightly mineralized. They are small, flat...

A new Isopod Crustacean from a limestone cave in Brazil.                                          Isopods are small, flat, benthic Crustaceans known from marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments, where they are known as Woodlice or Pill Bugs, due to the tendency of many species to roll up into tight balls resembling pills for defencive purposes. They are a...

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