Valviferan
Guides
Idoteidae
Common Valvetails
Idoteidae is a family of aquatic isopod crustaceans in the suborder Valvifera, distributed globally in marine and freshwater habitats. The family includes approximately 20 genera and numerous species, with highest diversity in temperate coastal waters. Members range from free-living forms in macroalgae and seagrass beds to commensal species associated with other marine organisms. The family has been extensively studied in Australia, New Zealand, the northeastern Pacific, and the North Atlantic.
Pentidotea
Pentidotea is a genus of marine isopods in the family Idoteidae, established by Richardson in 1905. The genus comprises approximately 13 described species of flattened, oval-shaped crustaceans found in coastal marine environments. These isopods are members of the suborder Valvifera, characterized by their ability to roll into a ball. Species in this genus are primarily associated with algae and seagrass habitats in temperate to cold waters.