New records of two interesting marine isopods from Karachi, with a summary of previous records of isopods from coastal areas of Pakistan

The order Isopoda is generally divided into 10 suborders (Gnathidea, Anthuridea, Microcerberidea, Flabellifera, Asellota, Callabazoidea, Valvifera, Phreatoicidea, Epicaridea and Oniscidea). Of these except the Oniscidea, which are terrestrial and semiaquatic, remaining orders are aquatic. Kensley, 2001 has given 268 species of Isopods from the Indian region which includes Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka, Maldive Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, Gulf of Mannar and Andaman Sea.While the isopod fauna of much of the Pakistan coast is imperfectly known, however reports over the last few years have slowly added to some knowledge of the area. Several other new records and new species await to be added to the faunal list of the region. From Pakistan so far nearly 50 species have been reported, in the following manner (sources arranged alphabetically, number of species in brackets). Anthuridea (9) see Javed and Yasmeen, 1992; Kensley, 1982; Negoescu, 1980. Epicaridea (7) see Chopra 1923; Ghani, 1995; Ghani and Tirmizi 1993, Kazmi, 1995, 1996a,b, 1997; Kazmi and Bourdon; 1997; Kazmi and Tirmizi, 1994; Kazmi and Kazmi, 1995; Kazmi andMarkham, 1999; Markham, 1980; Markham and Kazmi, 1998; Qazi, 1959. Flabellifera (27) see Barkati and Tirmizi, 1990; Bruce, 1986; Bruce and Javed, 1987; Eleftheriou and Jones, 1976; Ghani, 1996; Ghani and Ali, 1998; Ghani and Shireen, 1995, 2000; Javed, 1990; Javed and Ahmed, 1987,1988a,b; Javed and Yousuf, 1995a,b; 1996, 1997; Javed and Yasmeen, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999; Karim, 1975; Shireen, 2000, 2001; Shireen and Ghani, 2000. Oniscidea (2, terrestrial) see Kazmi and Yousuf, in press; Schotte, 1995. From the recently collected samples representatives of two suborders of isopods are obtained, which are not so far included in the faunal list of Crustacea from Karachi coast. The small size of the specimens and their living style seem to be the two reasons for them to go unnoticed. The two suborders are identified as Asellota and Microcerberidea, considered as sister groups by Brusca and Wilson (1991). The species are still undetermined