Cirolana harfordi
| Cirolana harfordi | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Family: | Cirolanidae |
| Genus: | Cirolana |
| Species: | C. harfordi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cirolana harfordi Lockington, 1877[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cirolana harfordi, or Harford's isopod, is a species of a marine crustacean in the order Isopoda. It is found in mussel beds, under rocks, and on sandy beaches in the Pacific Ocean.[2] The species was originally described by William N. Lockington in 1877 under the name Aega harfordii.[3]
Description
Cirolana harfordi has an oval, dorsoventrally compressed body, and a pair of antennae, which it uses for finding food and mates.[4] Its body is generally white with fine brown spots, and it can reach up to 2 cm in length.[5]
Ecology
Cirolana harfordi can be described as both a scavenger and a predator, feeding on crustaceans and polychaetes, particularly Syllis fasciata.[6] The food from one meal can fill the isopod's elastic digestive system and can nutritionally sustain this organism for three weeks.[6]
Life cycle
Female Cirolana harfordi will give birth one or two times during their two-year lifespan.[5] Like all members of the superorder Peracarida, they lay their eggs directly into a special pouch called the marsupium, located between the 3rd and 6th walking legs.[7] The young are brooded here for 3 to 4 months while they undergo several molts, after which they emerge as mancae, or juveniles that closely resemble the adult form.[2][6] Each brood contains 18 to 68 young.[6]
Human interactions
When Cirolana harfordi group into large aggregations, they can become a concern for humans and fisheries.[5] The isopods can attack living fish, especially those cultured in nets or caught in traps, and kill them.[8] There is also at least one report of a C. harfordi swarm biting and hospitalizing a teenager in Melbourne, Australia.[9] The species does not usually reach aggregation densities great enough to pose a concern, but in Australia, C. harfordi is an invasive species and lacks natural predators to limit its population growth.[5]
References
- ^ Schotte, Marilyn (2008). "Cirolana harfordi (Lockington, 1877)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Cirolana harfordi (Lockington, 1877)". SeaLifeBase. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Lockington, William N (1877). "Description of seventeen new species of Crustacea" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 7: 44--46.
- ^ Salma, Umme; Thomson, Murray (2019). "Microscopic morphology of the antennule and antenna of the marine isopod Cirolana harfordi" (PDF). Journal of Natural History. 53 (47): 2929--2949 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
- ^ a b c d Hillis, Bob; Collier, Annika; Snow, John. "Harford's Isopod". Mexican Marine Life. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, WS (1976). "Biology and population dynamics of the intertidal isopod Cirolana harfordi" (PDF). Marine Biology. 36 (4): 343--350.
- ^ Thomson, Murray (2014). "Ovoviviparous reproduction in Australian specimens of the intertidal isopod Cirolana harfordi". Invertebrate Reproduction & Development. 58 (3): 218--225 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
- ^ Murray, Thomson. "The anatomy and physiology of the intertidal marine isopod Cirolana harfordi". The University of Sydney.
- ^ "Sea bug attack: Why was a wading teenager left covered in blood?". BBC News. August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2025.