Phreatoicidea

Phreatoicidea Temporal range: Permian–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Eophreatoicus, a freshwater isopod from Kakadu National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Isopoda
Suborder:	Phreatoicidea Stebbing, 1893 [1]

Phreatoicidea is a suborder of isopod crustaceans. Extant species are confined to freshwater environments in South Africa, India, and Oceania.[2] This seemingly Gondwana-derived distribution belies the fact that the group once had a cosmopolitan distribution; fossils which can be assigned to the Phreatoicidea are the oldest isopod fossils, and are found throughout the world.[3][4] In the intervening 325 million years, phreatoicideans have changed little, and are thus considered living fossils.[5]

The first Australian phreatoicidean was described by Charles Chilton in 1891.[5] Two families are represented in Australia: Amphisopodidae in the interior of Australia, and in the west, and Phreatoicidae in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.[6]

Families

The suborder contains the following families:[7]

• Amphisopodidae Nicholls, 1943
• Hypsimetopidae Nicholls, 1943
• Mesamphisopidae Nicholls, 1943
• † Palaeophreatoicidae Birstein, 1962
• Phreatoicidae Chilton, 1891
• Phreatoicopsidae Nicholls, 1943
• Ponderellidae Wilson & Keable, 2004

See also

• Nichollsia

References

1. "Phreatoicidea". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
2. J. K. Lowry. "Phreatoicidea (Isopoda, Peracarida, Malacostraca)". Crustacea: The Higher Taxa. Australian Museum. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
3. Richard Brusca (August 6, 1997). "Isopoda". Tree of Life Web Project.
4. Frederick R. Schram (1970). "Isopod from the Pennsylvanian of Illinois". Science. 169 (3948): 854–855. Bibcode:1970Sci...169..854S. doi:10.1126/science.169.3948.854. PMID 5432581.
5. Buz Wilson. "About phreatoicidean isopods in Australia". University of Sydney. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
6. Buz Wilson. "Localities of Australian Phreatoicidea". University of Sydney. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
7. Schotte M, Boyko CB, Bruce NL, Poore GC, Taiti S, Wilson GD (eds.). "Phreatoicidea". World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans Database. World Register of Marine Species.

External links

• Data related to Phreatoicidea at Wikispecies