Sphaeroma taborans sp. nov., a new species of wood-boring isopod (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) from Munroe Island, Ashtamudi Estuary, Kerala, India

Authors

  • M.S. Arya Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India.
  • A. Biju Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India.
  • Dani Benchamin Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7446-5711

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8909.17.2.26530-26537

Keywords:

Ashtamudi Lake, epistome, holotype, mangrove ecosystems, paratype, pereopod, pleopod, pleotelson, Ramsar wetland, Sphaeromatidae, uropodal exopod, taxonomic description, tubercle

Abstract

Sphaeroma taborans sp. nov. is described from Munroe Island, part of Ashtamudi Estuary, Kerala, India. This wood-boring species can be distinguished from all other congeners by its dorsal surface with three longitudinal bands between eyes, a prominent blackish tubercle on the anterior band, and scattered weak tubercles. Epistome subtriangular and nontruncated. Pleon and pleotelson bearing appressed hair layers. Pleotelsonic dorsal surface with six stout tubercles in a transverse row near the anterior followed by three pairs of median prominent blunt tubercles. Apex curved triangle, slightly curved upwards. Uropodal exopod with 4–5 external teeth and an acute apex thorn-like setae along lateral margins with acute apex extending beyond pleotelsonic apex.

Author Biographies

M.S. Arya, Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India.

.

A. Biju, Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India.

.

Dani Benchamin, Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollam District, University of Kerala 689695, India.

.

References

Arya, M.S., A. Biju & D. Benchamin (2023). Assessment of spatial and temporal variations in water quality using multivariate statistical analysis in the Munroe Island, Kerala, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica 43(5): 751–763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2022.10.002

Bate, C.S. (1866). Carcinological gleanings. No. II. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 3. 17(97): 24–31.

Bosc, L.A.G (1801). Histoire Naturelle des Crustacés, Contenant leur Description et leurs Moeurs; avec Figures Dessinées d’Après Nature. Tome premier. Suite à Boffon, Paris, Deterville, Paris 258: 1–8.

Dana, J.D. (1853). Crustacea. Part II. United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Under the Command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. 14: 691–1618.

Dodge-Wan, D. & R. Nagarajan (2020). Boring of intertidal sandstones by Isopod Sphaeroma triste in NW Borneo (Sarawak, Malaysia). Journal of Coastal Research 36(2): 238–248. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-19-00066.1

Harrison, K. & D.M. Holdich (1984). Hemibranchiate sphaeromatids (Crustacea: Isopoda) from Queensland, Australia, with a world-wide review of the genera discussed. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 81(4): 275–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1984.tb01175.x

Heller, C. (1865). Crustaceen. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erdre, in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair, Zoologischer Theil. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Wien, Band 2 (Abtheilung) 3: 1–280.

Khalaji-Pirbalouty, V. & J.M. Gagnon (2023). Illustrated catalogue of sphaeromatoid isopods (Crustacea, Malacostraca) in the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(2): 375–389. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.99.103682

Khalaji-Pirbalouty, V. & J.W. Waegele (2010). A new record of Sphaeroma annandalei Stebbing, 1911 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) from the Persian Gulf, and description of a new related species (Sphaeroma silvai nov. sp.) from the south Atlantic Ocean. Zootaxa 2508(1):30–44. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2508.1.2

Latreille, P.A. (1825). Familles Naturelles du Règne Animal, Exposé Succinctement et Dans un Ordre Analytique Avec l’indication de Leurs Genres. J.B. Baillière, Paris, 570 pp.

Pillai, N.K. (1955). Wood boring Crustacea of Travancore. I. Sphaeromidae. Trivandrum IV, Bulletin of the Central Research Institute 1: 127–139.

Pillai, N.K. (1954). A preliminary note on the Tanaidacea and Isopoda of Travancore. University of Travancore, Trivandrum, Natural Sciences, Bulletin of the Central Research Institute3 (1): 1–21.

Rafeeque, M.K., T.R. Anoop, M.K. Sreeraj, R. Prasad, L.S. Nair & A. Krishnakumar (2023). Anthropogenic interventions on land neutrality in a critically vulnerable estuarine island ecosystem: a case of Munro Island (India). Scientific Reports 13(1): 1458. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28695-w

Roy, M.K.D. (2019). A systematic list of isopod fauna Hitherto known from India. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, Crustacea Section. 1–20.

Stebbing, T.R.R. (1905). Report on the Isopoda collected by Professor Herdman, at Ceylon, in 1902. In: Herdman, W.A. (ed.). Report to the Government of Ceylon on the Pearl Oyster Fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar with Supplmentary Reports Upon the Marine Biology of Ceylon, by Other Naturalists 4(23): 1–64.

Stebbing, T.R.R. (1911). Indian Isopods. Records of the Indian Museum 6(4): 179–191.

Thiri, M. & Y. Yang (2022). Review on possible factors for outbreak of Wood- Boring Isopod, Sphaeroma spp. which causes destructive impact on mangrove forest in China. Open Journal of Ecology 12(3): 211–235. https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2022.123013

Wägele, J.W. (1989). Evolution und phylogenetisches System der Isopoda. Zoologica 140: 1–262.

Downloads

Published

26-02-2025

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Communications

License

Copyright (c) 2025 M.S. Arya, A. Biju, Dani Benchamin

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.