Ligia oceanica
| Ligia oceanica | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Family: | Ligiidae |
| Genus: | Ligia |
| Species: | L. oceanica |
| Binomial name | |
| Ligia oceanica (Linnaeus, 1767) |
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| Synonyms [1] | |
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Ligia oceanica, the sea slater, common sea slater or sea roach, is a littoral woodlouse.
L. oceanica is oval, twice as long as broad and may reach up to 30 millimetres (1.2 in) in length, making it one of the largest oniscid isopods.[2] Its colour may vary from grey to olive-green, and it has large compound eyes and long antennae, ⅔ as long as its body.[3]
L. oceanica is found in temperate waters from Norway to the Mediterranean Sea,[4] and from Cape Cod north to Maine.[5] It is a common species, occurring wherever the substrate of the littoral zone is rocky, and is especially common in crevices and rock pools and under stones.[3] It is a nocturnal omnivore,[6] eating many kinds of seaweed, diatoms [3] and debris, with a particular fondness for bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus).[2]
L. oceanica individuals live for 2½–3 years and usually breed only once.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Helmut Schmalfuss (2003). "World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) — revised and updated version". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A 654: 341 pp. http://www.oniscidea-catalog.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/Cat_terr_isop.pdf.
- ^ a b "The Care of Woodlice (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidae)". November 11, 2005. http://www.earthlife.net/insects/woodcare.html.
- ^ a b c Susie Ballerstedt (26 November 2006). "Common sea slater - Ligia oceanica". Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Ligiaoceanica.htm.
- ^ Juan Luis Menéndez (July 3, 2005). "Ligia oceanica (Linnaeus, 1767)" (in Spanish). Naturaleza Cantábrica. http://www.asturnatura.com/Consultas/Ficha.php?Especie=Ligia+oceanica.
- ^ Richard Fox (2001). "Invertebrate zoology laboratory exercises". Lander University. http://local.lander.edu/rsfox/310LigiaLab.html.
- ^ a b "Sea slater (Ligia oceanica)". ARKive.org. http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/invertebrates_marine/Ligia_oceanica/more_info.html. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
