Knowra Isopoda Isopoda Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice, slaters, and marine forms. Its members have flattened bodies, seven pairs of walking legs, and no carapace covering the thorax.
Crustacea : Crustacea is a diverse group of arthropods that includes crabs, shrimp, and barnacles. Isopods are crustaceans, sharing their fundamental body plan and evolutionary ancestry.
Crustacean molting : The periodic shedding and replacement of a crustacean's exoskeleton to permit growth. Many isopods shed the front and rear portions of the exoskeleton at different times.
Detritivore : An organism that obtains energy by consuming dead organic material and waste. Many terrestrial isopods fragment and consume decaying leaves and other detritus.
Amphipoda : An order of crustaceans that includes many laterally compressed marine and freshwater forms. Amphipods generally lack the flattened, dorsoventrally compressed body typical of isopods.
Isopod phylogeny : The evolutionary relationships among isopod lineages. Phylogeny connects marine, freshwater, and terrestrial forms and informs the order's classification.
Malacostraca : Malacostraca is a large crustacean class that includes crabs, shrimp, krill, and isopods. Isopoda belongs within this class, whose members typically have a segmented thorax and abdomen.
Branchial respiration : Gas exchange through gills in aquatic animals. Marine isopods use modified abdominal appendages for respiration in water.
Leaf litter : The layer of dead leaves and other plant material covering forest soil. Woodlice feed within this layer and help break plant remains into smaller pieces.
Decapoda : A crustacean order that includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp, typically with five pairs of walking legs. Decapods have ten walking legs and a carapace, unlike the seven pairs and uncovered thorax of isopods.
Oniscidea : The isopod group containing terrestrial woodlice and their relatives. Oniscidea represents the order's best-known transition into life on land.
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