Asellus aquaticus
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| Asellus aquaticus | ||||||||||||||||
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| Asellus aquaticus (Linaeus, 1758) |
Asellus aquaticus is a freshwater crustacean resembling a woodlouse. It is known by many common names including "waterlouse", "aquatic sowbug" and "water hoglouse".
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[edit] Ecology
Asellus aquaticus is common throughout the temperate zone including Europe, Russia, and North America.[1] Asellus aquaticus is found in rivers, streams and standing water particularly where there are plenty of stones under which it hides although not where the water is strongly acidic.[2] It is omnivorous.[2]
Asellus aquaticus relatively tolerant of a range of pollutants and has been used as an indicator of water quality.[1]
[edit] Reproduction
In spring, females carry eggs in brood pouches underneath her body.[3].
[edit] Conservation
A number of subspecies are considered to be endangered including:
- Asellus aquaticus carniolicus, endemic to Slovenia.[4]
- Asellus aquaticus cavernicolus found only in Italy and Slovenia.[5]
- Asellus aquaticus cyclobranchialis, endemic to Slovenia.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Maltby L. (1991). Pollution as a Probe of Life-History Adaptation in Asellus aquaticus (Isopoda). Oikos, 61(1), pp. 11-18.
- ^ a b B. Whitton (1982). Rivers, Lakes and Marshes p 131. Hodder & Staughton, London.
- ^ Sterry, P. (1997). Complete British Wildlife p 212. Collins. ISBN 0-5833-3638-8
- ^ Sket, B. (1996). Asellus aquaticus ssp. carniolicus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- ^ Sket, B. (1996). Asellus aquaticus ssp. cavernicolus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- ^ Sket, B. (1996). Asellus aquaticus ssp. cyclobranchialis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
