Limnoriidae

The limnories ( Limnoriidae ) train a family of surroundings 56 small species Isopode S sailors of approximately 5 millimetres, including one certain number are Détritivore S Xylophage surface S and borers (terebrant) who live in colonies on the piles, boards and substrates of fixed Bois, floating or deposited on the Laisse sea in the intertidal Zone, tandisque the others nourish marine Varech and grasses. In the littoral ecosystem, they play a big role in the recycling of the Nécromasse rich in Lignine and Cellulose.

List kinds

Limnoria (surroundings 28 species xylophagous, 20 species Polyphagous S and 3 species consuming marine grasses) Leach, 1814
Lynseia (3 species consuming marine grasses) Poore, 1987B
Paralimnoria (2 species of xylophagous) Menzies, 1957

Damage of the xylophagous ones

Wood becomes spongy and fragile where the xylophagous limnories make their colonies. Wood erodes by taking characteristic forms (digging in the shape of twin wheel of the piles planted in the zone exposed to the tides), where the current is strong. Only or with other borers such as the Taret S, it can degrade the wood hulls posed on the muddy sediments or on the leashes of sea, it is one of the species which the Antifouling S aim at killing, and they do it effectively, but not without to pollute Maritime environment.

One them thought that the xylophagous ones directly consumed the wood in which they hide, but they eat it only as that Ci is softened by the decomposition; they consume actually associations of bacteria and mushrooms which break up cellulose and the lignin of wood or the dead algae. It is however possible, as many terrestrial invertebrates do it which they contribute to " ensemencer" the wood which they colonize in micro-organisms likely to break up it.

See too

External bonds

Article devoted to Taret and Limnorie

Simple: Gribble

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