Littoral and shallow water isopods from Todos los Santos Bay, Baja California, Mexico

Abstract

A CHECKLIST OF THE FREE-LIVING ISOPODS OF TODOS LOS SANTOS BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, IS PRESENTED ON THE BASIS OF ALLOCHRONIC COLLECTIONS MADE BETWEEN 1988 AND 2005 ALONG THE ROCKY, SANDY, AND MUDDY INTERTIDAL AND SANDY SUBTIDAL TO 256 METERS DEEP. WE COLLECTED 26 OF THE 48 SPECIES KNOWN FROM THE CALIFORNIAN PROVINCE: 2 ASELLOTA; 7 CYMOTHOIDA; 1 ONISCOIDEA; 7 SPHAEROMATIDEA; 9 VALVIFERA. THE MOST ABUNDANT SPECIES WERE EXCIROLANA LINGUIFRONS (RICHARDSON, 1899), (SANDY MESOLITORAL), IDOTEA FEWKESI RICHARDSON, 1905 AND I. RESECATA STIMPSON 1857, (ROCKY INTERTIDAL), HALIOPHASMA GEMINATUM MENZIES AND BARNARD, 1959, (MUDDY INTERTIDAL AND SUBTIDAL ASSOCIATED WITH THE EEL GRASS ZOSTERA MARINA), AND CAECOGNATHIA CRENULATIFRONS (MONOD, 1926) (SUBLITORAL). ALL THE RECORDED SPECIES WERE FOUND IN SIMILAR MARINE BIOTOPES IN CALIFORNIA, USA. OF THE 26 SPECIES, 7 ARE RECORDED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MEXICO, EXTENDING THEIR SOUTHERN DISTRIBUTION TO TODOS LOS SANTOS BAY. THESE ARE: ERICHSONELLA CRENULATA MENZIES, 1950, EXOSPHAEROMA AMPLICAUDA (STIMPSON 1857), E. OCTONUM (RICHARDSON, 1899), IDARCTURUS ALLELOMORPHUS MENZIES Y BARNARD, 1959, I. FEWKESI, JANIRALATA DAVISI MENZIES, 1951 AND PARACERCEIS GILLIANA (RICHARDSON, 1899).