Abstract:
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The present work comprises studies on the salinity tolerance
and respiratory metabolism of a mood-boring sphaeromid, Sphaeroma
annandalei, Stabbing and two free living,foulers of the family
Cirolanidae, Cirolana fluviatilis Stabbing and C. uilleyi Stabbing.
Except for the systematic accounts and general observations by
Pillai (1961) and the preliminary studies on the salinity tolerance
and respiration of C. fluviatilis by Nagabhushanam and Gopalakrishnamurthy
(1965, 1965a) very little is known about these isopods From
Indian waters. Studies by John (1968) on the habits, structure,
and development of Sphaeroma terebrans and by Cheriyan (1973) on the
eoéphysiology of the same are the recent major contributions on this
interesting group of animals. 5. annandalei is closely related to
S. terebrans and has been reported to occur on timber along with the
latter (Pillai, 1951). s. gggandalei is a serious pest attacking wood
along the Kerala coast, but detailed works on this species have not
been undertaken so Far |