Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Invertebrates associated with the marine wood boring isopod, Limnoria tripunctata

  • Short Communications
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Untreated wood submerged for 4–6 months and infested with the marine wood boring isopod, Limnoria tripunctata Menzies, was analyzed for the associated invertebrate community. Associated with Limnoria were acoelous turbellarians, nematodes, the archiannelid Dinophilus sp., the tubicolous polychaete, Polydora sp., 4 harpacticoid copepods, 2 amphipods and the tanaid, Leptochelia savignyi. Limnoria ecto-commensals included ciliated and diatoms.

Prior to dying Limnoria dug “tomb-like” side tunnels and then crawled inside to expire. All previous reports suggest that Limnoria leaves the wood to die.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Brunell, P.: Les isopodes xylophages Limnoria japonica et L. lignorum dans le Golfe Saint-Laurent: Notes sur leur distribution et leurs ciliés, ostracodes et copépodes commensaux. Crustaceana 5, 35–46 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Coull, B. C., Lindgren, E. W.: Harrietella simulans (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) associated with Limnoria tripunctata (Isopoda) in North Carolina. J. Elisha Mitch. Sci. 85, 73–75 (1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eltringham, S. K.: Factors affecting the distribution of the burrows of the marine wood-boring isopod Limnoria. Int. Biodetn. Bull. 7(2), 61–67 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, J. T.: The Gribble: a study of the distribution factors and life-history of Limnoria lignorum at St. Andrews, N. B. Contr. Canad. Biol. (n.s.) 2(14), 309–325 (1924).

    Google Scholar 

  • Menzies, R. J., Widrig, T. M.: Aggregation by the marine wood-boring isopod Limnoria. Oikos 6, 149–152 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkster, S.: Harpacticoid copepods living in wood infested by Limnoria from France. Bull. Zool. Mus. univ. Amsterdam 1(6), 53–65 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  • Reish, D. J.: Polychaetous annelids as associates and predators of the crustacean wood borer, Limnoria. Wasmann. J. Biol. 12(2), 223–226 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. I. ed.: Keys to marine invertebrates of the Woods Hole region. Marine Biol. Lab., Woods Hole, Mass., 208 pp. (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephenson, K.: Copepoda found on Limnoria lignorum. Vet. Kgl. Norske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr. 39, 1–10 (1936).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vervoort, W.: Harrietella simulans (T. Scott 1894), a commensal copepod on Limnoria lignorum (Rathke). Zool. Mededel (Leiden) 30(20), 297–305 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, J. B. J.: Some additions to the Dale Fort marine fauna. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 142(3), 453–458 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Bruce C. Coull

    Present address: Baruch Coastal Research Institute and Dept. of Biology, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, S.C.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Clark University, 01610, Worcester, Massachusetts

    Thomas D. Sleeter & Bruce C. Coull

Authors
  1. Thomas D. Sleeter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bruce C. Coull
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sleeter, T.D., Coull, B.C. Invertebrates associated with the marine wood boring isopod, Limnoria tripunctata . Oecologia 13, 97–102 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379623

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379623

Keywords

Search

Navigation