Ligia oceanica

Clip isopod ( Ligia oceanica )

The clip isopod ( Ligia oceanica ) is a representative of isopods ( Isopoda ) from the class of Higher cancers. It is commonly found on the west coasts of Europe.

Features

With up to three centimeters in body length, the clip Assel the largest representative of terrestrial isopods is ( Oniscidea ). Your body is ovoid, flattened, and about twice as long as wide. The ranges in color from gray to olive color. The head bears large compound eyes and antennae reach about two-thirds of the body length and each having at least ten segments. The cephalothorax formed of head and first thoracic segment is followed by seven thoracic segments visible. The clip Assel has seven pairs of legs and two large uropods on telson, which bears about it, two long processes.

Occurrence

The natural range of the clip Assel includes the Atlantic and North Sea coasts of Western Europe. In some places the northwestern U.S. coast, the species has been introduced. They settled prefers rocky coastline with rock crevices as hiding places, but is also found on sandy beaches under stones. Clip isopods hold off on both on land and in the littoral and can at least survive several days under water.

Way of life

Clip isopods are nocturnal and flee in disorder if possible from the light. At night they migrate, especially during the low tide in the dried-up areas to graze on algae. In addition, however, a variety of other food is taken from plant and animal wastes to land consumed mosses.

The main breeding season of the clip Assel is in the spring, eggs bearing females are, however, encountered throughout the year. The average number of eggs per brood is about 80 With a life expectancy of about three years, the female plant is about five times continuously.

Swell

• A. G. Nicholls: Studies on Ligia oceanica. IA Habitat and effect of change of environment on respiration. B. Observations on moulting and breeding. In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. No. 17 ( 3 ), 1931, pp. 655-674. Full Text (English ) (PDF, 4.7 MB)
• A. G. Nicholls: Studies on Ligia oceanica. Part II The processes of feeding, digestion and absorption, with a description of the structure of the foregut. In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. No. 17 ( 3 ), 1931, pp. 675-708. Full Text (English ) (PDF, 7.3 MB)