''Scutuloidea kutu'' is a species of marine

isopod Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, an ...

s in the family Sphaeromatidae, first described by Stephenson and Riley in 1996.Schotte, M., B.F. Kensley, and S. Shilling. (1995) nwards). World list of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Crustacea Isopoda. National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution: Washington D.C., USA.,Poore, G.C.B.; Bruce, N. (2009) Isopoda (Crustacea). In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp, No subspecies are listed in the Catalog of Life.''WoRMS Isopoda: World List of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans''. Schotte M., Boyko C. B, Bruce N. L., Poore G.C.B., Taiti S., Wilson G.D.F. (eds), 5 October 2010 The name "kutu" (

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

for "lice") was chosen as a metaphor, as the species lives on seaweed (i.e. the hair of hinemoana, a personification of the ocean).

Description and ecology

Males are approximately 5–7 mm in length, while females are approximately 4–5 mm. Females are often carried on the backs of the males of the species. ''Scutuloidea kutu'' can be visually distinguished from ''

Scutuloidea maculata ''Scutuloidea maculata'' is a species of marine isopods in the family Sphaeromatidae, first described by Charles Chilton in 1883.Poore, G.C.B.; Bruce, N. (2009) Isopoda (Crustacea). In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiv ...

'', a similar species in appearance which is also found in New Zealand waters, by colour, having a more spender body and eyes, as well as a

pleotelson The telson () is the posterior-most division of the body of an arthropod. Depending on the definition, the telson is either considered to be the final segment of the arthropod body, or an additional division that is not a true segment on accou ...

with no apical notch.

Distribution and habitat

''Scutuloidea kutu'' is found in the northern waters of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, where it lives in seaweeds, sponges and

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a l ...

in exposed reef formations, especially around red seaweeds such as ''Plocamium costatum'' and ''Osmundaria colensoi''. Specimens have been found in the Bay of Islands,

Piha Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...

and

Piwhane / Spirits Bay Spirits Bay, officially named Piwhane / Spirits Bay, is a remote bay at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, which forms the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It lies between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the west and Ngataea ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2489429 Sphaeromatidae Crustaceans described in 1996 Marine crustaceans of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Endemic crustaceans of New Zealand