|
The
taxonomy and ecology of the genus Notoplax
H. Adams, 1861 and related groups in Australia and New Zealand.
Notoplax
was erected by H. Adams in1861 as a subgenus of Cryptoplax
and its status has since varied from a full genus to a synonym
of Craspedochiton. In 1991, Gowlett-Holmes redefined Notoplax
as a full genus and restricted its’ definition, with the
majority of its’ members being from the Australian and New
Zealand region. Other groups previously included in Notoplax,
such as Bassethullia and Pseudotonicia
plus several others currently under study, are distinct genera,
while others are synonyms of other genera, such as Spongiochiton,
which is a synonym of Craspedochiton.
All
known members of Notoplax
s.s. are carnivorous
grazers, feeding on sponges. The members of some Notoplax
species spend their entire lives on a single sponge. The members
of Bassethullia and Pseudotonicia are sand dwellers, often freeliving, and their
superficial resemblance is the result of convergent evolution to
a similar habitat. Other groups previously included in Notoplax have a variety of habitats and ecology. This ecological
diversity reinforces the distinction of Notoplax
from the other groups, and the latter from each other.
|
