Behavior of janiroidean isopods (Asellota), with special reference to deep-sea genera

Knowledge about the behavior of deep-sea isopods is sparse, in spite of their importance (as judged from faunal diversity and numerical abundance) in deep-sea communities. Yet an understanding of the ecology of those communities ultimately requires information on where and how component species live. Many deep-sea isopod families and genera have shallow-water representatives at northern and southern high latitudes. Basic behavioral features of these taxa have been revealed through study of these shallow-waters forms. This report describes behavior seen in aquaria of species within the Janiridae, Munnidae, Paramunnidae, Ischnomesidae, Desmosomatidae, Eurycopidae, and Ilyarachnidae. Observations cover locomotion (walking, swimming, burrowing), feeding, grooming, respiration, brooding, and interindividual behavior. Several activities, particularly concerning grooming and respiration, characterize many of the taxa. Locomotory habits are strongly correlated with morphology, but borrowing is more common than has been predicted from body design, and taxa with natatory conformation were surprisingly reluctant to swim.