Talitroidea Rafinesque 1815

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Traskorchestia traskiana

Common Sand-Hopper (Talitrus saltator), Male, from the Side.

Hyale littoralis. Woods Hole..

Figure 1.Hyalella imbya sp. n. Rodrigues and Bueno (male paratype, UFLA 0187). A habitus from holotype B antenna 1 C antenna 1 article showing two aesthetascs D antenna 2 E left mandible F upper lip G lower lip H maxilla 1 I maxilla 2. Scale bar equal 1 mm for A; 500 µm for B; 100 µm for C–I.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Aggregated Traskorchestia traskiana

Figure 2.Hyalella imbya sp. n. Rodrigues and Bueno (male paratype, UFLA 0187). A gnathopod 1 B gnathopod 1 propodus and dactylus C gnathopod 2 D gnathopod 2 propodus and dactylus. Scale bars equals 100 µm for A–D.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Figure 3. Hyalella imbya sp. n. Rodrigues and Bueno (male paratype, UFLA 0187). A peraeopod 3 B peraeopod 4 C peraeopod 5 D peraeopod 6 E peraeopod 7. Scale bars equals 200 µm for A–E.

Figure 4.Hyalella imbya sp. n. Rodrigues and Bueno (male paratype, UFLA 0187). A pleopods B maxillipod C uropod 1 D uropod 2 E uropod 3 F telson. Scale bars equals 200 µm for A; 100 µm for B–F.

Figure 5.Hyalella imbya sp. n. Rodrigues and Bueno (female allotype, UFLA 0187). A gnathopod 1 B gnathopod 1 propodus and dactylus C gnathopod 2 D gnathopod 2 propodus and dactylus. Scale bars equals 100 µm for A–D.

This individual is digging in under beach wrack (stranded algae) in the early morning hours. Several other amphipods have dug in nearby. Photo from Shi Shi Beach by Dave Cowles, July 2008 This individual is heading down a typical burrow which it has just dug. Photo from Shi Shi beach by Dave Cowles, July 2008

Sand hopper; strandvlo.

Generally Megalorchestia californiana beachhoppers are out feeding at night and dig burrows to stay in during the day. I have seen many of their burrows underneath kelp high on the beach (see photos above). This view shows an unusual set of Megalorchestia californiana burrows at Shi Shi beach. The burrows are on a high brow of dry sand, just above a steep sand bank that drops to the lower beach. The photo is taken shortly after dawn. The night high tide came up and sculpted the sand bank but did not reach quite this far. When I passed by the area was covered with many Megalorchestia calforniana, some still walking around but most digging these characteristic, cone-like burrows. Each hole between the two pyramid-like mounds contains a beachhopper facing head-down and kicking sand up onto the mounds. The photo is looking directly away from the ocean so most of the beachhoppers were orienting themselves to the left and right on the beach whle they dug. Photo by Dave Cowles, late July 2008

Megalorchestia californiana near decaying kelp on the high intertidal beach of Mukkaw Bay at dusk. Body length about 2 cm. Note how large this species is compared to the other amphipod seen behind it. (Photo by: Dave Cowles, July 2008)