Amphipods

(unknown species)

Classification

  • Kingdom: Animalia

  • Phylum: Arthropoda

  • Subphylum: Crustacea

  • Class: Malacostraca

  • Order: Amphipoda

Common Names

  • Marine Amphipods

  • Sand hoppers

  • Beach fleas

  • Sea lice (in colloquial use, though not accurate)

Identification

  • Appearance: Small, laterally compressed bodies with a curved or humped back.

  • Size: Typically 1 to 340 mm in length, but most are under 25 mm.

  • Color: Often translucent, sometimes with pigments ranging from grey to green, depending on habitat and diet.

Habitat

  • Distribution: Found globally, from polar to tropical seas, and from the intertidal zone down to the abyssal depths.

  • Natural Habitat: Diverse habitats including sandy beaches, rocky shores, seaweed beds, and the deep-sea floor. Many are benthic, living among sediments, while others are pelagic, swimming in the water column.

Ecological Role

  • Diet: Varied; some are detritivores consuming dead organic material, others are herbivores, and some are carnivorous, preying on smaller marine organisms.

  • Decomposition: Play a critical role in the decomposition of organic matter and recycling of nutrients in marine ecosystems.

  • Food Source: Important part of the marine food web, serving as prey for a variety of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

Behavior

  • Reproduction: Most species reproduce sexually with direct development; females often carry eggs in a brood pouch until they hatch into juvenile forms resembling adults.

  • Social Behavior: Some species form swarms, especially when feeding or during reproductive periods.

Uses

  • Scientific Research: Used as model organisms in ecological and environmental studies, including pollution assessment.

  • Aquaculture: Serve as a natural food source in aquaculture for various commercially important fish and crustaceans.

Conservation

  • Status: Generally not considered endangered, but populations can be impacted by pollution, habitat destruction, and changes in oceanic conditions.

  • Conservation Issues: Monitoring is essential to understand the impacts of environmental stressors on amphipod populations and their role in the ecosystem.

Research

  • Ongoing studies focus on their role in nutrient cycling, their adaptations to environmental stresses, and their responses to global climate change.