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Cave Biology Data Portal
Subterranean biodiversity of North America and around the globe
AnimaliaArthropodaCrustaceaMalacostracaIsopodaStenasellidaeMexistenasellus

Coahuila Groundwater Isopod
Mexistenasellus coahuila Cole & Minckley, 1972

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Malacostraca
Order Isopoda
Family Stenasellidae
Genus Mexistenasellus
Species Mexistenasellus coahuila Cole & Minckley, 1972

Description

Diagnostic characters

Ecological class
Stygobiont
Realm
Aquatic
Troglomorphy
Troglomorphic

Distribution

Range

Known from Texas in the Edwards Plateau and Balcones karst region.

Continent

North America

Country

United States

States and provinces

Texas

Counties

County-level records have not been compiled for this taxon. Distribution is recorded at state and karst-region level.

Karst regions

Edwards Plateau and Balcones

Genetics

Molecular resources

MarkerMoleculeSequences LengthExemplar
16S mitochondrial 1 475-475 bp AY570149.1
COI mitochondrial 1 658-658 bp AY566478.1

2 sequences, retrieved 23 August 2026. Counts change as sequences are deposited. Search GenBank.

Download all 2 sequence records (CSV) Accession, marker, molecule type, length, GenBank definition and a direct link.

Specimens

Type material

Holotype
USNM 123807 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Paratype ×4
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Collections holding material

InstitutionLots
Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center, Texas State University 25
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution 18
University of Texas, Biodiversity Center, Entomology Collection 1

44 cataloged lots in 3 collections. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.

Download all 44 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.

Conservation and management

IUCN Red List

EN Endangered A1c

EXEWCREN▲VUNTLC

Assessed in 1996.

NatureServe

G2G3 Imperiled to Vulnerable

G1G2▲G3▲G4G5

Global rank last reviewed 21 August 2002.

Subnational ranks

Texas
S3 Vulnerable

State and federal status

Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Other resources

Catalogue of Life
42KVS
GBIF
2205495
ITIS
93039
iNaturalist
105695
NCBI Taxonomy
267902
BOLD
BOLD:AAX4121

How to cite this account

Mexistenasellus coahuila Cole & Minckley, 1972. Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-1300. https://cavebiology.org/species/mexistenasellus-coahuila/ (accessed 3 September 2026).

Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction. Accounts are compiled from many sources and corrections from people who know the group are the most useful email we get.

Cave Biology Data Portal

Species accounts, distributions, and conservation status for the subterranean fauna of North America and around the globe, with resources for the cave and karst research community.

Text and data CC BY 4.0. Images all rights reserved unless stated.

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