Microcerberidae

The Microcerberidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They are less than 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and live interstitially in shallow marine or freshwater sand habitats.[1]

Microcerberidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Microcerberidea
Family:
Microcerberidae

Karaman, 1933
Genera
  • Afrocerberus
  • Bulgarocerberus
  • Coxicerberus
  • Isoyvesia
  • Mexicerberus
  • Microcerberus
  • Protocerberus

Marine microcerberids comprise the main part species diversity, but are very alike. As a group, they have very broad distribution:

  • the majority of Coxicerberus: Americas, southern coasts of Europe, Africa, warm waters of Asia, New Zealand
  • "Microcerberus" monodi: Angola

Freshwater taxa are less abundant in species number (only 12 species), but are more morphologically diverse and include seven or eight genera. They have these distributions:

  • Afrocerberus and Protocerberus: central and southern Africa
  • Bulgarocerberus: Bulgaria
  • Isoyvesia: Cuba
  • Mexicerberus: Mexico
  • Microcerberus: South Carolina, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia
  • "Microcerberus" remyi: Morocco
  • Coxicerberus ruffoi: northern Italy

References
  1. Richard Brusca, Vania R. Coelho & Stefano Taiti. "Suborder Microcerberidea". Guide to the Coastal Marine Isopods of California. Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 2009-02-22.


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