Orchestia mediterranea, sometimes called the Mediterranean beach hopper,[2] is a species of amphipod in the family Talitridae (sandhoppers).
| Orchestia mediterranea | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Superorder: | Peracarida |
| Order: | Amphipoda |
| Family: | Talitridae |
| Genus: | Orchestia |
| Species: | O. mediterranea
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| Binomial name | |
| Orchestia mediterranea A. Costa, 1853
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description edit
This species grows to a maximum length of 19 mm (0.75 in) and is pink in colour.[2] It can be distinguished from Orchestia gammarellus by the ramus (branch) of its pleopods (swimming legs), which are as long as, or longer than, the peduncle (base segment of the antenna); in O. gammarellus the ramus of the pleopods is much shorter than the peduncle.[3]
Distribution edit
Orchestia mediterranea is found in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the seas around Great Britain and Ireland.[1][4][5]
Behaviour edit
Infection with the parasite Paramarteilia orchestiae can cause intersexual attributes in male Orchestia mediterranea.[6]
A study in Bizerte found that Orchestia mediterranea was more common in autumn than summer.[7]
References edit
- ^ a b "Orchestia mediterranea A. Costa, 1853". WoRMS.
- ^ a b "Mediterranean Beach Hopper (Orchestia mediterranea)". iNaturalist.
- ^ Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe. (2017). United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
- ^ "Orchestia mediterranea | NBN Atlas". species.nbnatlas.org.
- ^ "Orchestia mediterranea Costa, 1853". www.gbif.org.
- ^ Ginsburger-Vogel, T. (October 1, 1991). "Intersexuality in Orchestia Mediterranea Costa, 1853, and Orchestia Aestuarensis Wildish, 1987 (Amphipoda): a Consequence of Hybridization or Parasitic Infestation?". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 11 (4): 530–539. doi:10.2307/1548522 – via DOI.org (Crossref).
- ^ Issues in Life Sciences—Invertebrate Research: 2013 Edition. (2013:119). United States: ScholarlyEditions.
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