Asellota | |
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Asellus aquaticus, Asellidae | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Crustacea |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Subclass: | Eumalacostraca |
Order: | Isopoda |
Suborder: |
Asellota Latreille, 1802 |
Superfamilies | |
Aselloidea
Stenetrioidea
Janiroidea
Gnathostenetroidoidea
Asellota is a suborder of isopod crustaceans found in marine and freshwater environments. Roughly one-quarter of all marine isopods belong to this suborder. Members of this suborder are readily distinguished from other isopods by their complex copulatory apparatus. Other characteristics include six-jointed antennal peduncle, the styliform uropods (a character shared with some other isopod groups), the fusion of pleonites 5, 4 and sometimes 3 to the pleotelson, and absence of the first pleopod in females.
The suborder Asellota comprises these families: Some classifications also include the Microcerberidea within Asellota.
Janiroidea Sars, 1897
Aselloidea Latreille, 1802
Stenetrioidea Hansen, 1905
Gnathostenetroidoidea Kussakin, 1967