Sphaeromatidea

Male Serolis bromleyana, from Beddard (1884).

Belongs within: Scuticoxifera.
Contains: Sphaeromatidae.

The Sphaeromatidea are a clade of marine isopods with the underside of the pleotelson vaulted, defining a branchial chamber (Brandt & Poore 2003).

Characters (from Brandt & Poore 2003): Pleonites variously fused (rarely 1–5 free), pleonite 1 narrower than others (similar in Plakarthrium). Pleotelson underside vaulted, branchial chamber defined by ridges along mesial margin of lateral edge. Antenna 1 without scale. Mandibular lacinia mobilis present on left side, reduced and fused with spine row on right or absent. Mandibular molar a cylindrical process with triturative flat end. Maxillipedal endite reaching at least distal margin of palp article 2, usually distally truncate and setose. Pleopod 3 endopod roughly triangular or at least with inner angle sharper than outer. Dorsal coxal plate 7 similar to others (rarely shorter). Uropodal rami lateral to margin of pleotelson, articulating along longitudinal axis and folding down alongside branchial space.

<==Sphaeromatidea BP03
    |--Sphaeromatoidea BP03
    |    |--Paravireia Chilton 1925 BP03
    |    |    `--P. holdichi Brökeland, Wägele & Bruce 2001 BP03
    |    `--+--Sphaeromatidae BP03
    |       `--+--Tecticeps Richardson 1897 [Tecticipitidae] BP03
    |          |    |--T. alascensis H47
    |          |    |--T. convexus H47
    |          |    |--T. marginalis Gurjanova 1935 BP03
    |          |    `--T. pugettensis Hatch 1947 H47
    |          `--Ancinidae BP03
    |               |--Bathycopea Tattersall 1905 BP03
    |               |    `--B. typhlops Tattersall 1905 BP03
    |               `--Ancinus Milne Edwards 1840 BP03
    |                    |--A. belizensis Kensley & Schotte 1987 BP03
    |                    `--A. depressus (Say 1818) MK83
    `--Seroloidea BP03
         |--Plakarthrium Chilton 1883 [Plakarthriidae] BP03
         |    `--P. australiense Poore & Brandt 2001 BP03
         `--+--Schweglerella [Schweglerellidae] BP03
            |    `--S. strobli Polz 1998 BP03
            `--+--Bathynataliidae BP02
               |    |--Biremia Bruce 1985 BP03
               |    |    `--B. ambocerca Bruce 1985 BP03
               |    `--+--Naudea Kensley 1979 BP03
               |       |    `--N. louwae Kensley 1979 BP03
               |       `--Bathynatalia Kensley 1978 BP03
               |            `--B. gilchristi Barnard 1957 BP03
               `--+--Basserolis Poore 1985 [Basserolidae] BP03
                  |    `--B. kimblae Poore 1985 BP03
                  `--Serolidae BP03
                       |--Serolina holia Poore 1987 BP03
                       `--Serolis Leach 1818 BP03
                            |--*S. paradoxus (Fabricius 1775) [=Oniscus paradoxus; incl. S. fabricii Leach 1818] MK83
                            |--S. bouvieri Richardson 1909 BP03
                            |--S. bromleyana BH88
                            |--S. carinata Lockington 1877 MK83
                            `--S. mgrayi Menzies & Frankenberg 1966 MK83

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BH88] Boxshall, G. A., & K. Harrison. 1988. New nicothoid copepods (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from an amphipod and from deep-sea isopods. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology series 54 (6): 285–299.

[BP03] Brandt, A. & G. C. B. Poore. 2003. Higher classification of the flabelliferan and related Isopoda based on a reappraisal of relationships. Invertebrate Systematics 17: 893–923.

[H47] Hatch, M. H. 1947. The Chelifera and Isopoda of Washington and adjacent regions. University of Washington Publications in Biology 10 (5): 155–274.

[MK83] Menzies, R. J., & W. L. Kruczynski. 1983. Isopod Crustacea (exclusive of Epicaridea). Memoirs of the Hourglass Cruises 6 (1): 1–126.