Thermosphaeroma thermophilum

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Thermosphaeroma thermophilum
Thermosphaeroma thermophilum male.jpg

Extinct in the Wild (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Isopoda
Family:
Sphaeromatidae
Genus:
Thermosphaeroma
Species:
T. thermophilum
Binomial name
Thermosphaeroma thermophilum

Thermosphaeroma thermophilum, commonly known as the Socorro isopod or Socorro sowbug, is a crustacean in the family Sphaeromatidae. It was endemic to the thermal water of Sedillo Spring located in Socorro County in the state of New Mexico, United States.

In the isopod's natural habitat the thermal waters ranged in temperature from 26–33 °C (79–91 °F). In 1947, when the spring was diverted to supply the city of Socorro with drinking water, the isopods ended up living in an old water supply pipe that led to a horse trough and two small, old, concrete bathing pools.[1][2] In 1988, the wild population became extinct[3] when a tree root burst the pipe and cut off water flow to the concrete pools.[2] Existing captive populations were bred to restore the isopod community near the spring and they were reintroduced[3] into eight new concrete pools (tanks).[2] As of 2006, captive populations are kept at the Albuquerque Biological Park, the Minnesota Zoo, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Laboratory in Santa Fe, and by the Department of Biology at New Mexico Tech.[4]

T. thermophilum engage in cannibalism.[5] In 1997, researchers found that female T. thermophilum were feeding on vegetation, whereas males were cannibalizing females.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Inland Water Crustacean Specialist Group (1996). "Thermosphaeroma thermophilum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T21741A9315891. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T21741A9315891.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Charles C. Mann & Mark Plummer (1995). "Is Endangered Species Act in danger?". Science. 267 (5202): 1256–1258. doi:10.1126/science.267.5202.1256. PMID 17812587. S2CID 45554604.
  3. ^ a b Leslie Ann Mertz (2004). "Isopoda (pillbugs, slaters, and woodlice)". In Michael Hutchins; et al. (eds.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia: Volume 2: Protostomes (2nd ed.). Detroit, Michigan: Gale. pp. 249–260. ISBN 0-7876-5778-6.
  4. ^ New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (August 25, 2006). "Threatened and Endangered Species of New Mexico: Biennial Review and Recommendations" (PDF).
  5. ^ Bleakley, B. H.; Welter, S. M.; McCauley-Cole, K.; Shuster, S. M.; Moore, A. J. (2013-03-20). "Cannibalism as an interacting phenotype: precannibalistic aggression is influenced by social partners in the endangered Socorro Isopod (Thermosphaeroma thermophilum)". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 26 (4): 832–842. doi:10.1111/jeb.12098. ISSN 1010-061X. PMID 23516960. S2CID 20468114.
  6. ^ Jormalainen, Veijo; Shuster, Stephen M. (1997-07-01). "Microhabitat segregation and cannibalism in an endangered freshwater isopod, Thermosphaeroma thermophilum". Oecologia. 111 (2): 271–279. doi:10.1007/s004420050235. ISSN 0029-8549. PMID 28308004. S2CID 12759352.

Further reading[]

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