Sphaeromatidae (Crustacea : Isopoda : Flabellifera) from the South China Sea

Abstract

Collections of sphaeromatids from the northern and western South China Sea are reported. As a result of this study, the number of sphaeromatid species known from this sea has been more than tripled. Descriptions and illustrations of four new species (Dynoides harrisoni, Cerceis sinensis, Paracerceis holdichi and Paraleptosphaeroma brucei) from the South China Sea are presented, a new genus, Chitonosphaera, is erected for Gnorimosphaeroma lata Nishimura, 1968, and records are presented for a further 24 species.