Spring-Seapills

Thermosphaeroma

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Superorder: Peracarida
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Sphaeromatidea
Superfamily: Sphaeromatoidea
Family: Sphaeromatidae
Genus: Thermosphaeroma

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Thermosphaeroma: /ˌθɜː.moʊ.sfɪˈroʊ.mə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Thermosphaeroma thermophilum male by Bronwyn H. Bleakley. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Thermosphaeroma thermophilum female by Bronwyn H. Bleakley. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Thermosphaeroma thermophilum by Jared Shorma. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Isopode de socorro by Gelweo. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Summary

Thermosphaeroma thermophilum, or the Socorro isopod, is a crustacean endemic to thermal waters of Socorro County, New Mexico. It has experienced drastic population declines due to habitat loss and is now maintained in captive populations after once becoming extinct in the wild.

Physical Characteristics

Males average 7.1 mm in length (4-13 mm range); females average 5.1 mm in length (4.5-6 mm range). Both sexes are gray to reddish-brown with bright orange-tinted edges. Body is flattened and segmented with uropods on the last segment; has seven pairs of legs and a pair of antennae.

Identification Tips

Species are identified based on range and pleopod morphology.

Habitat

Warm aquatic habitats, endemic to the thermal waters of Sedillo Spring in Socorro County, New Mexico, USA.

Distribution

Formerly endemic to Sedillo Spring, now found in confined conditions including old water pipeline due to water diversion since 1947. Also present in captive populations across various institutions.

Diet

Omnivorous, eating plant material (blue-green algae, leaves/detritus) and aquatic invertebrates (including dragonfly nymphs). Cannibalistic behavior is common.

Life Cycle

Lifespan of about 1 year. Mean body size increases from March to October, then decreases from October to February. Sexual maturity reached in 4–11 weeks.

Reproduction

Iteroparous with multiple births possible throughout life; females carry offspring for about 30 days, producing between 3 and 57 offspring, averaging 16 under laboratory conditions.

Predators

None noted; water depths (15–26 cm) prevent predation by birds. Cannibalism occurs within the species.

Conservation Status

Listed as extinct in the wild (EW) by IUCN, but likely vulnerable (VU) based on USFWS review.

Ecosystem Role

Plays a role in the aquatic ecosystem, feeding on detritus and contributing to the population dynamics through cannibalism.