isopod

isopod
—isopodan /uy sop"euh dn/, adj., n. —isopodous, adj.
/uy"seuh pod'/, n.
1. any freshwater, marine, or terrestrial crustacean of the order or suborder Isopoda, having seven pairs of legs typically adapted for crawling, and a dorsoventrally flattened body, and including wood lice, several aquatic parasites of crabs and shrimps, and numerous swimming or bottom-dwelling species.
adj.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Isopoda.
3. having the feet all alike, or similar in character.
[1825-35; < NL Isopoda. See ISO-, -POD]

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 any member of the order Isopoda (class Crustacea), a group of diverse, widely occurring forms including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial species. Most are free-living, but a number of marine species are parasitic on other animals. They are usually inconspicuous. Most of the 10,000 species, which include the pill bug, the sow bug, and the gribble (qq.v.), are from 0.7 to 35 mm (0.28 to 1.4 inches) long; however, Bathynomus giganteus, a marine species of the Caribbean Sea, grows to 35 cm (14 inches).

      The body is elongated, rather flat, and somewhat arched. The back is covered by a series of wide, armour-like plates; the thorax, or midsection, has seven segments, the abdomen six. There are usually six pairs of limbs, but sometimes as few as two or as many as eight are found.

      Sow bugs and pill bugs are often found in leaf litter. Aquatic forms are abundant among water plants near the shore. Parasitic forms live in the internal organs of fishes, prawns, and squid. They are common in the deep sea and are the dominant malacostracan crustaceans in terrestrial environments.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • isopod — [ī säp′ə dənī sōpäd΄, ī səpäd΄] n. [< ModL < ISO + POD] any of an order (Isopoda) of mostly aquatic malacostracan crustaceans with a flat, oval body and seven pairs of walking legs of similar size and form, each pair attached to a segment… …   English World dictionary

  • Isopod — I so*pod, a. (Zo[ o]l.) Having the legs similar in structure; belonging to the {Isopoda}. n. One of the {Isopoda}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • isopod — ISOPÓD, isopode, s.n. (La pl.) Ordin de crustacee cu toracele compus din şapte segmente libere, fiecare segment având câte o pereche de picioare; (şi la sg.) animal care face parte din acest ordin. – fr. isopodes (<gr.). Trimis de gall,… …   Dicționar Român

  • isopod — 1835, from Fr. isopode, from L. isopoda (neuter plural), from Gk. iso (see ISO (Cf. iso )) + pod , stem of pous foot (see FOOT (Cf. foot) (n.)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • isopod — noun Etymology: ultimately from Greek is + pod , pous foot more at foot Date: circa 1835 any of a large order (Isopoda) of small sessile eyed aquatic or terrestrial crustaceans with the body composed of seven free thoracic segments each bearing a …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • isopod — (Order Isopoda): ( ) [Kensley and Schotte, 1989]. Schematic representation of an isopod illustrating morphological terms. [Kensley and Schotte, 1989] …   Crustacea glossary

  • isopod — noun Any of very many crustaceans, of the order Isopoda, that have a flattened body, and no carapace …   Wiktionary

  • isopod — n. small crustacean (freshwater, sea or terrestrial) that has 7 pairs of legs …   English contemporary dictionary

  • isopod — [ ʌɪsəpɒd] noun Zoology a crustacean of the order Isopoda, which includes the woodlice and many aquatic forms. Origin from mod. L. Isopoda, from Gk isos equal + pous, pod foot …   English new terms dictionary

  • isopod — iso·pod …   English syllables

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