Sea Centipedes

Euidotea peronii	Paridotea collingei

Systematics: Isopoda Family Idoteidae

Distinguishing Characters:
The body is narrow and flattened. The seven pairs of legs are much alike. The abdomen is a simple box with the gills encosed by valves on the underside formed from the uropods. The colour of Euidotea peronii, a species growing up to 44 mm long, is extremely variable. Paridotea collingei is narrower, a similar length and more evenly coloured red.

Habitat and Distribution:
Sea centipedes live and feed on decaying seaweed in shallow waters of southern Australia.

General Biology:
Members of the family Idoteidae are known as sea centipedes but are not at all related to terrestrial centipedes which have many more pairs of legs and never enter the sea. These species belong to one of the few families of herbivorous isopods. They can camouflage themselves according to the colour of the marine algae in which they live.