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Microcerberidae

The Microcerberidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They are less than 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and live interstitially in shallow marine or freshwater sand habitats.

Last revised
Jul 1, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
182 w
Citations
2
Source
Microcerberidae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Microcerberidea
Family: Microcerberidae
Karaman, 1933
Genera1
  • Afrocerberus
  • Bulgarocerberus
  • Coxicerberus
  • Isoyvesia
  • Mexicerberus
  • Microcerberus
  • Protocerberus

The Microcerberidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They are less than 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and live interstitially in shallow marine or freshwater sand habitats.2

Marine microcerberids comprise the main part species diversity, but are very alike. As a group, they have very broad distribution:

  • the majority of Coxicerberus: Americas, southern coasts of Europe, Africa, warm waters of Asia, New Zealand
  • "Microcerberus" monodi: Angola

Freshwater taxa are less abundant in species number (only 12 species), but are more morphologically diverse and include seven or eight genera. They have these distributions:

  • Afrocerberus and Protocerberus: central and southern Africa
  • Bulgarocerberus: Bulgaria
  • Isoyvesia: Cuba
  • Mexicerberus: Mexico
  • Microcerberus: South Carolina, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia
  • "Microcerberus" remyi: Morocco
  • Coxicerberus ruffoi: northern Italy
References

References

  1. "Microcerberidae". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  2. Richard Brusca, Vania R. Coelho & Stefano Taiti. "Suborder Microcerberidea". Guide to the Coastal Marine Isopods of California. Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 2009-02-22.