Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
Distribution, ecology, and conservation status of freshwater Idoteidae
(Isopoda) in southern New Zealand
W. L. Chadderton
Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 112, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Email: lchadderton@doc.govt.nz
P. A. Ryan,
2802 East 132nd Circle, Thornton CO 80241, USA.
M. J. Winterbourn
School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury,
Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Abstract Three species of Idoteidae, Austridotea
lacustris, A. annectens, and A. benhami, are known from
the South Island of New Zealand and some of its outlying islands. All three
have largely coastal distributions, with A. lacustris and A. annectens
inhabiting both fresh and brackish water. They feed mainly on plant detritus
and, to a lesser extent, algae and invertebrates. A. lacustris is known
from Stewart Island, Campbell Island, Pitt Island, and the south of the South
Island. On Stewart Island, many stream populations of A. lacustris
occur immediately above the upper limit of tidal influence, but on Campbell
Island, the species penetrates much further inland. A. annectens has
been found on Stewart Island, Pitt Island, and the southern South Island as
far north as Banks Peninsula. It lives in freshwater streams and brackish
lagoons. A. annectens has a 1-year life cycle with young released in
spring. A. benhami is known only from a few freshwater streams near
Dunedin (South Island) and appears to be the most endangered of the three
species. Habitat protection by vegetated riparian strips is proposed to reduce
potentially harmful effects on its populations.
Keywords Austridotea; conservation biology; distribution;
Idoteidae; Isopoda; life history; New Zealand; streams
R02010 Received 22 April 2002; accepted 7 October 2002; published 18 June
2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number
2, June 2003, pp 529-548
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