The Taxonomy, Ecology, and Distribution of Northern California Isopods of the Genus Idothea with the Description of a New Species

Menzies, R

From Introduction: The usual small isopod collection contains numerous idotheid species and a very few species belonging to other groups. These are often species belonging to parasitic genera such as Cymothoa or destructive forms like Limnoria and Sphaeroma. Doubtless the large size and frequent great abundance of idotheid individuals accounts largely for their dominance in collections. However, insofar as the California coast is concerned, one who attempts to classify idotheid species meets with many difficulties. For example, males of one species have been known for many years under a name differing from that applied to the females, varieties of a single species have been known under different names and certain species have been incorrectly named and confused with other species. Since many of the inadequacies in the classification can be traced to an originally poor description, it is the purpose of this paper to correct earlier errors and to provide a simpler and more satisfactory classification of the species known to occur on the California coast. In certain instances it has been found impossible to solve, with the available material a particularly difficult taxonomic problem and in such cases the problem is merely stated and discussed to a limited extent for the benefit of future workers.

The Taxonomy, Ecology, and Distribution of Northern California Isopods of the Genus Idothea with the Description of a New Species

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