Invertebrate Zoology: Textbook - T. A. Dauda 2014

Multicellular Animals
Arthropods
Subphylum Branchiopoda - Class Crustacea - Order Isopoda

Isopods have a dorsoventrally flattened body, ranging in length from 1 mm to 5 cm. Their heads bear large compound eyes, and a carapace is absent. The thoracic limbs are uniramous and adapted for walking, while the abdominal appendages are flattened and function as gills.

Common and widespread Representatives of the order include the aquatic sowbug, the common woodlouse, and the rough woodlouse (see Fig. 49). Water hoglice are typical saprophages feeding on decaying vegetation. They inhabit accumulations of rotting leaves in the shallow zones of freshwater bodies, acting as natural scavengers in rivers, ponds, and lakes. Woodlice have adapted to terrestrial life and breathe atmospheric air.

The lateral edges of their dorsal plates extend low down the sides of the body and press tightly against the surface on which the woodlouse rests. This helps maintain adequate moisture on the ventral side of the body, where the modified gills are located. Many woodlouse species live in the soil and can cause damage to agricultural crops. Some forms inhabit deserts, where they play a highly beneficial role in the cycling of organic matter and soil formation processes.



Last update: 13/08/2026

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