Sphaeromatidae

{{Short description|Family of isopods}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Exosphaeroma echinensis, Kakamatua Point, Huia, Manukau Harbour, West Auckland, New Zealand imported from iNaturalist photo 224904278.jpg | image_caption = ''Exosphaeroma echinensis'' | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Sphaeromatidae | authority = Latreille, 1825 | type_genus = ''Sphaeroma'' | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = }} thumb|''Lekanesphaera rugicauda'' ?

'''Sphaeromatidae''', the '''seapills''', is a family of isopods, often encountered on rocky shores and in shelf waters in temperate zones.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Poore |first1=Gary CB |last2=Lew Ton |first2=Helen M |last3=Bruce |first3=Niel L. |year=2002 |chapter=Sphaeromatidae Latreille, 1825 |editor1-last=Poore |editor1-first=Gary C. B. |title=Zoological Catalogue of Australia |volume=19 |publisher=Csiro Publishing |page=221 }}</ref> The family includes almost 100 genera and 619 known marine species (and about 65 in fresh water). Within these genera, there are groups that share distinctive morphologies; further research may reclassify these genus-groups as separate families.<ref name=Diversity>{{cite journal |last1=Poore |first1=Gary C. B. |last2=Bruce |first2=Niel L. |date=September 2012 |title=Global Diversity of Marine Isopods (Except Asellota and Crustacean Symbionts) |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=9 |article-number=e43529 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0043529 |pmid=22952700 |pmc=3432053 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Description== Many species have a dorsoventrally compressed body shape, often with a vaulted dorsum, and some are strongly flattened (scale-like).<ref name=Diversity/>

==Ecology== Sphaeromatidae are browsers or detritus feeders. Xynosphaera appear to have incisory mandibles;<ref name=Diversity/> ''Xynosphaera colemani'' burrows into the tissue of alcyonacean corals.<ref>Bruce NL (2003) New genera and species of sphaeromatid isopod crustaceans from Australian marine coastal waters. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60: 309–370.</ref> Some genera of Sphaeromatidae associate with sponges, particularly Oxinasphaera.<ref>Bruce NL (1997) Order Isopoda. Sea Lice. In: Richmond MD, editor. A guide to the seashores of eastern Africa and the western Indian Ocean Islands: SIDA/SAREC. pp. 198–201.</ref>

==Genera== The family contains the following genera:<ref>{{cite web |author1=Niel L. Bruce |author2=Marilyn Schotte |name-list-style=amp |year=2011 |title=Sphaeromatidae |editor1=M. Schotte |editor2=C. B. Boyko |editor3=N. L. Bruce |editor4=G. C. B. Poore |editor5=S. Taiti |editor6=G. D. F. Wilson |work=World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database |publisher=World Register of Marine Species |url=http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=118277 |access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *''Afrocerceis'' Müller, 1995 *''Agostodina'' Bruce, 1994 *''Amphoroidea'' H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 *''Amphoroidella'' Baker, 1908 *''Apemosphaera'' Bruce, 1994 *†''Archaeosphaeroma'' Novák, 1872 *''Artopoles'' Barnard, 1920 *''Austrasphaera'' Bruce, 2003 *''Beatricesphaera'' Wetzer & Bruce, 1999 *''Benthosphaera'' Bruce, 1994 *''Bilistra'' Sket & Bruce, 2004 *''Botryias'' Richardson, 1910 *''Bregmotypta'' Bruce, 1994 *''Caecocassidias'' Kussakin, 1967 *''Caecosphaeroma'' Dollfus, 1896 *''Calcipila'' Harrison & Holdich, 1984 *''Campecopea'' Leach, 1814 *''Cassidias'' Richardson, 1906 *''Cassidina'' H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 *''Cassidinella'' Whitelegge, 1901 *''Cassidinidea'' Hansen, 1905 *''Cassidinopsis'' Hansen, 1905 *''Ceratocephalus'' Woodward, 1877 *''Cerceis'' H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 *''Cercosphaera'' Bruce, 1994 *''Chitonopsis'' Whitelegge, 1902 *''Chitonosphaera'' Kussakin & Malyutina, 1993 *''Cilicaea'' Leach, 1818 *''Cilicaeopsis'' Hansen, 1905 *''Cliamenella'' Kussakin & Malyutina, 1987 *†''Cyclosphaeroma'' Woodward, 1890 *''Cymodetta'' Bowman & Kuhne, 1974 *''Cymodoce'' Leach, 1814 *''Cymodocella'' Pfeffer, 1887 *''Cymodopsis'' Baker, 1926 *''Diclidocella'' Bruce, 1995 *''Discerceis'' Richardson, 1905 *''Discidina'' Bruce, 1994 *''Dynamene'' Leach, 1814 *''Dynamenella'' Hansen, 1905 *''Dynameniscus'' Richardson, 1905 *''Dynamenoides'' Hurley & Jansen, 1977 *''Dynamenopsis'' Baker, 1908 *''Dynoides'' Barnard, 1914 *†''Eocopea'' Iverson & Chivers, 1984 *†''Eosphaeroma'' Woodward, 1879 *''Eterocerceis'' Messana, 1990 *''Exocerceis'' Baker, 1926 *''Exosphaeroides'' Holdich & Harrison, 1983 *''Exosphaeroma'' Stebbing, 1900 *''Geocerceis'' Menzies & Glynn, 1968 *''Gnorimosphaeroma'' Menzies, 1954 *''Harrieta'' Kensley, 1987 *''Haswellia'' Miers, 1884 *''Hemisphaeroma'' Hansen, 1905 *''Heterodina'' Schotte & Kensley, 2005 *†''Heterosphaeroma'' Munier-Chalmas, 1872 *''Holotelson'' Richardson, 1909 *''Ischyromene'' Racovitza, 1908 *''{{ill|Isocladus (crustacean)|lt=Isocladus|sv|Isocladus}}'' Miers, 1876 *†''Isopodites'' von Ammon, 1882 *''Juletta'' Bruce, 1993 *''Koremasphaera'' Bruce, 2003 *''Kranosphaera'' Bruce, 1992 *''Lekanesphaera'' Verhoeff, 1943 *''Leptosphaeroma'' Hilgendorf, 1885 *''Makarasphaera'' Bruce, 2005 *''Margueritta'' Bruce, 1993 *''Maricoccus'' Poore, 1994 *''Merozoon'' Sket, 2012 *''Monolistra'' Gerstaecker, 1856 *''Moruloidea'' Baker, 1908 *''Naesicopea'' Stebbing, 1893 *''Neonaesa'' Harrison & Holdich, 1982 *''Neosphaeroma'' Baker, 1926 *''Oxinasphaera'' Bruce, 1997 *''Paracassidina'' Baker, 1911 *''Paracassidinopsis'' Nobili, 1906 *''Paracerceis'' Hansen, 1905 *''Paracilicaea'' Stebbing, 1910 *''Paradella'' Harrison & Holdich, 1982 *''Paraimene'' Javed & Ahmed, 1988 *''Paraleptosphaeroma'' Buss & Iverson, 1981 *''Parasphaeroma'' Stebbing, 1902 *''Parisocladus'' Barnard, 1914 *''Pedinura'' Bruce, 2003 *''Pistorius'' Harrison & Holdich, 1982 *''Platycerceis'' Baker, 1926 *''Platynympha'' Harrison, 1984 *''Platysphaera'' Holdich & Harrison, 1981 *''Pooredoce'' Bruce, 2009 *†''Protosphaeroma'' Bachmayer, 1949 *''Pseudocerceis'' Harrison & Holdich, 1982 *''Pseudosphaeroma'' Chilton, 1909 *''Ptyosphaera'' Holdich & Harrison, 1983 *''Scutuloidea'' Chilton, 1883 *''Sphaeramene'' Barnard, 1914 *''Sphaeroma'' Latreille, 1802 *''Sphaeromopsis'' Holdich & Jones, 1973 *''Stathmos'' Barnard, 1940 *''Striella'' Glynn, 1968 *''Syncassidina'' Baker, 1928 *''Thermosphaeroma'' Cole & Bane, 1978 *''Tholozodium'' Eleftheriou, Holdich & Harrison, 1980 *†''Triassphaeroma'' Basso & Tintori, 1995 *''Waiteolana'' Baker, 1926 *''Xynosphaera'' Bruce, 1994 *''Zuzara'' Leach, 1818 {{div col end}}

==See also== *''Sphaeroma terebrans''

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikispecies}} * [http://isopods.nhm.org/ "Cute As Buttons"]

Category:Sphaeromatidae Category:Isopod families Category:Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille