Idoteidae

Idoteidae can be distinguished from other valviferan families by diagnostic morphological characters, including details of appendage structure. The family is characterized by the valviferan condition in which the uropods form a respiratory chamber covering the pleopods. Genera within the family are distinguished by features of antennae, mouthparts, pereiopods, and pleon structure. Species identification typically requires examination of male genitalia and detailed morphometric analysis.

Most species occur in shallow macroalgae and seagrass habitats, with strong association to temperate marine waters. Some species inhabit freshwater streams and brackish lagoons, particularly in southern New Zealand. Marine species are found in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, with one pelagic cosmopolitan species (Idotea metallica).

Global distribution with concentrations in temperate coastal waters. Documented from Australia (23 species, southern coast between Sydney and Perth), New Zealand (four species, none north of Wellington), northeastern North Pacific (Juan de Fuca Strait to Prince William Sound), Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean basin, and northeastern Atlantic.

Freshwater species in New Zealand (Austridotea spp.) feed mainly on plant detritus and, to a lesser extent, algae and invertebrates. Marine species are generally considered herbivorous or detritivorous, though specific dietary data for most species is limited.

Direct development with brooding of young; lacks a planktonic larval stage. One freshwater New Zealand species (Austridotea annectens) has been observed with a one-year life cycle and young released in spring.

Detritivores and algivores processing periphyton and decaying plant material in freshwater systems. In marine habitats, species function as herbivores and detritivores in macroalgal and seagrass communities. Some species exhibit commensal relationships with other marine organisms.

• ArcturidaeBoth are valviferan families; Idoteidae distinguished by diagnostic appendage characters and habitat preferences
• ChaetiliidaeFormerly included some species now excluded from Idoteidae; distinguished by morphological features of pleon and uropods

• isopod
• crustacean
• valviferan
• marine
• freshwater
• detritivore
• direct development
• temperate
• seagrass
• macroalgae

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Idoteidae of Australia and New Zealand (Crustacea : Isopoda : Valvifera)
• New records of Erichsonella attenuata (Isopoda: Valvifera: Idoteidae)in the Gulf of Mexico
• Distribution, ecology, and conservation status of freshwater Idoteidae (Isopoda) in southern New Zealand
• Taxonomy and Distribution of Edotea (= Tropedotea) lyonsi (Menzies and Kruczynski, 1983) N. Comb. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Idoteidae)
• Four new valviferan isopods from diverse tropical Australian habitats (Crustacea: Isopoda: Holognathidae and Idoteidae)
• OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY AND BEHAVIOR OF THE COMMENSAL ISOPOD COLIDOTEA ROSTRATA (BENEDICT, 1898) (ISOPODA: IDOTEIDAE)
• Population dynamics and reproductive biology of the commensal isopod Colidotea rostrata (Crustacea: Isopoda: Idoteidae)
• Observations and Experiments on the Natural History and Behavior of the Commensal Isopod Colidotea rostrata (Benedict, 1898) (Isopoda: Idoteidae)
• Biology ofChiridotea caeca(Say, 1818) (Isopoda: Idoteidae) in the surfe zone of exposed sandy beaches along the coast of southern New Jersey, USA
• The Idoteidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera) of the shallow waters of the northeastern North Pacific Ocean
• Phylogenetic analysis of the north‐east Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genusStenosoma(Isopoda, Valvifera, Idoteidae)
• New insights into the life-history of the isopod Edotia dahli (Valvifera: Idoteidae): report of host-use and distribution records in the central Chilean coast
• A new isopod species of the genus Edotia (Valvifera, Idoteidae) from Argentina, with a key to South American species.