6 - Sphaeromatidae::“Cute As Buttons”

INTRODUCTION 3
islands of the southeastern chain of the Lesser Antilles. In total there are
about 40 publications, varying from descriptions of single species to longer
works, that deal with isopods from the Caribbean. These publications will be
encountered in the following guide, under the specific taxa.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA COVERED IN THIS GUIDE
The accompanying map (Figure 1) shows the area for which records are
included in this guide.
While it may seem logical to include the Gulf of Mexico, and while there
are several isopod species common to both areas, this has not been done.
There are relatively few isopod records from the Gulf; undoubtedly a great
deal of taxonomic work awaits the careful collector in this area. Also, from a
zoogeographic point of view, separation of the Gulf may be justified.
Bermuda, on the other hand, situated in the northwestern Atlantic several
hundred miles off the coast of the United States, is included. This island,
although remote from the Caribbean, is swept by waters that earlier have
passed through the Caribbean. Zoogeographically, the shallow-water Ber-
mudan and Caribbean faunas have much in common.
While perhaps not strictly in the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas and the
Florida Keys are included here, their shallow-water marine faunas being
overwhelmingly Caribbean in nature.
Turning to depths limits, within the area under discussion, species from
the intertidal to 200 meters have been dealt with in some detail. This arbi­
trary cutoff depth was selected because most Caribbean isopod species in­
habit relatively shallow depths. About 30 species have been recorded from
below 200 meters in the Caribbean, many of these known only from the type
material. A list of species of this very poorly known deeper fauna is included
here. Without doubt, many species in the deeper waters of the Caribbean
await discovery.
A fascinating group of isopods, while not strictly shallow-water marine
forms, is included. These are the true cave forms, found mainly in the sub­
orders Anthuridea and Flabellifera. Given the history of the Caribbean from
the Quaternary to the present, it is not surprising that caves are common
throughout the region. These caves may be well inland and contain only
freshwater, but are more commonly anchialine, that is, having some (fre­
quently subterranean) link to the sea. Less common, and of lesser interest
from an isopod taxonomist's point of view, are the fully marine caves in
direct communication with the sea or, indeed, under the surface of the sea
itself.