Phreatoicidae is a
family of blind,
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
isopod
Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, an ...
s. They have survived apparently unchanged for 350 million years, and are only found in
South Africa,
India,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand. They were first found near
Christchurch in 1882 by
Charles Chilton. The family Phreatoicidae now contains 13 genera:
*''
Colacanthotelson''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Colubotelson''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Crenoicus''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Gariwerdeus''
Wilson & Keable, 2002
*''
Mesacanthotelson''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Metaphreatoicus''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Naiopegia''
Wilson & Keable, 2002
*''
Neophreatoicus''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Notamphisopus''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Onchotelson
''Onchotelson'' is a genus of isopod crustaceans in the family Phreatoicidae, which is endemic to Tasmania. It contains two species, both of which are listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List:
*''Onchotelson brevicaudatus'' ...
''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Paraphreatoicus''
Nicholls, 1944
*''
Phreatoicus''
Chilton, 1883
*''
Uramphisopus
''Uramphisopus pearsoni'' is a species of isopod crustaceans in the family Phreatoicidae
Phreatoicidae is a family (biology), family of blind, freshwater isopods. They have survived apparently unchanged for 350 million years, and are only ...
''
Nicholls, 1943
References
External links
*
Isopoda
Crustacean families
{{isopod-stub