# weird isopod I.d.



## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

I collected some isos from my driftwood spot.anyone know what they are?


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

those arent isopods that i know of. Silverfish maybe?


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

mordoria said:


> those arent isopods that i know of. Silverfish maybe?


No, a quick google search found that silverfish only have six legs.


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## SnakePaparazzi (Jul 20, 2008)

Perhaps some form of aquatic isopod... I googled freshwater isopod and looks like maybe Isopoda aquatica.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

mordoria said:


> those arent isopods that i know of. Silverfish maybe?




I have zero doubt its an iso just unsure of the kind.i find them under driftwood all the time on the shoreline around where I live this is the first time I have collected them because they are so fast compaired to other isos.and I was unsure if I could keep them away from the water thinking they are semi aquatic being as ive not found them elsewhere.but so far so good its been two days and the are still alive.they also poop the same black charcoal looking struff that other isos do just alot larger as some are an inch and a half long.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

They look to be one of the intertidal isopods that are partially terrestrial.. there are a lot of different species, so without a key, it is hard to figure out it which species they are..... 

Ed


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Ed said:


> They look to be one of the intertidal isopods that are partially terrestrial.. there are a lot of different species, so without a key, it is hard to figure out it which species they are.....
> 
> Ed




If you know anyone with an intrest I could prepare a few test samples in a vile with alchohol.and mail them some to id.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Where did you collect them? You mentioned that they were from your driftwood spot, so was it at a beach or by a river? Maybe this will help in the ID.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

hypostatic said:


> Where did you collect them? You mentioned that they were from your driftwood spot, so was it at a beach or by a river? Maybe this will help in the ID.




As i posted above they where found on a shore line...a tidal shore line to be more precise .its on the edge of a creek that dumps into the bay


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

hypostatic said:


> Where did you collect them? You mentioned that they were from your driftwood spot, so was it at a beach or by a river? Maybe this will help in the ID.




As i posted above they where found on a shore line...a tidal shore line to be more precise .its on the edge of a creek that dumps into the bay


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Well you COULD try browsing the Smithsonian World List of Marine, Freshwater
and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans:
Search Form: World List of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans: National Museum of Natural History: Smithsonian Institution

You can type "USA" into the Type Locality box and it will give you all of the species in the USA (it spat out 469 records for USA).

Then I guess you could just browse the ones that are found on the east coast?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

hypostatic said:


> Well you COULD try browsing the Smithsonian World List of Marine, Freshwater
> and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans:
> Search Form: World List of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans: National Museum of Natural History: Smithsonian Institution
> 
> ...


Assuming that it isn't an introduced species that traveled from somewhere else... a number of isopods in several enviroments have been translocated from elsewhere in the world....> 

Ed


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Well its day three and they have been in a frogless 5gal nano viv planted.with no access directly to a water source other than misting with no apparent ill effect.on a side note I made this viv just to mix diff species of isos together to test the effect multi trypes of isos like p.scaber,spainsh orange,purple micropods, pill bugs,and dwarf whites have on nemertian populations.it slowed them down but never finished them off.well after three days I see no more worms on the surface ground cover,on the background,or on plants and glass.they still prob lurk in the soil but this iso eats the worm itself.not the eggs!!


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## fathead0713 (Jun 18, 2012)

Down here in Fla. we call them Sea Roaches. They inhabit rocks and debris surrounding water. Not sure of the scientific name though


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

fathead0713 said:


> Down here in Fla. we call them Sea Roaches. They inhabit rocks and debris surrounding water. Not sure of the scientific name though


We had those on our dock and bulkhead. Salt water though, on the coast of NC.


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## Mer_ (Sep 11, 2011)

I think these might be Ligia exotica, which are nonindiginous to the East coast.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Quick update.they are all still alive and doing well in the viv.i counted them all last night feeding on a cucumber slice.they all darted when I turned on the viv lights this morning so they seem to be viv suited.just dont think due to their size they would be a good frog viv addition.but may be a great food source for mantids or even larger frogs.


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

marylanddartfrog said:


> If you know anyone with an intrest I could prepare a few test samples in a vile with alchohol.and mail them some to id.


If you preserve a few in ethanol, I can ID them. Most of my work is with benthic inverts from lotic environments but I have the keys for most aquatic/semiaquatic isos so it shouldn't be much of a problem. PM me if you want them ID'd.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

I found what seems to be the same thing lastnight at a fishing pier in fairhope, Alabama. These were found on the wood near the bay, I caught three and they are still alive in my aquatic turtle tank.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

With a length of 1.5 inches I think the real question is this, Are they better with cocktail sauce or in a nice scampi?


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

All are still alive and well i will be collecting a few samples from where i found these this week and sending out for a positive i.d...hey doug if you wanna saute some up and let me know how they taste ill send some your way too.lol


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

marylanddartfrog said:


> All are still alive and well i will be collecting a few samples from where i found these this week and sending out for a positive i.d...hey doug if you wanna saute some up and let me know how they taste ill send some your way too.lol


Oh, we could cook them up for you, but Ed's the only one with any experience in the the wonders of Isopod cuisine. 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...opods-woodlice-springtails-15.html#post613836


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Ok so the verdict is in on this weird iso via Maryland dnr it is an Australian rock Slater it is a form of iso that must have arrived via ship into port less than a mile from the collection site .apparently its not even that uncommon and is actually wide spread in the area.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

marylanddartfrog said:


> Ok so the verdict is in on this weird iso via Maryland dnr it is an Australian rock Slater it is a form of iso that must have arrived via ship into port less than a mile from the collection site .apparently its not even that uncommon and is actually wide spread in the area.


It's 'Ligia australiensis' if you want to so a search for them. I found more info using that, than the Australian Rock Slater.


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## Ilovebugs (Jul 28, 2012)

Too cool! Are you still keeping them?


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