Beach hopper

Orchestoidea californiana

FAMILY

Gammaridae

TAXONOMY

Orchestoidea californiana Brandt, 1851.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Beach flea, sand hopper, sandflea, long-horned beach hopper.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Orchestoidea californiana reaches a length of 1.1 in (28 mm). This species has the typical amphipod body form. Eyes very small. Possesses a long pair of slender, second antennae that are orange or rosy red.

DISTRIBUTION

Found from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Laguna Beach, California.

HABITAT

Found on exposed beaches of fine sand backed by dunes.

BEHAVIOR

Hoppers can jump along on the sand using the posterior part of the abdomen and the terminal uropods as a spring. Mature individuals make a burrow in the sand that can be 12 in (30 cm) deep. When storm waves pound the beach, these hoppers are known to take refuge in areas higher up on the shore. They tend to hide in their burrows most of the day. At sunset they hop along the shoreline looking for piles of seaweed or other matter washed up by the waves.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Orchestoidea californiana can be observed feeding on seaweeds at night to avoid high daylight temperatures and predators such as shorebirds and racoons.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Mating occurs in the burrows from June until November. Males deposit sperm in a gelatinous mass on the underside of the female. After the male leaves the burrow, the female fertilizes the eggs, which are dark blue and kept within a brood pouch made by broad, leaf-like thoracic appendages. Newly hatched juveniles look very much like their parents.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not listed by the IUCN.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.