Biodiversity & Conservation

A sand hopper - Talitrus saltator - General information

Talitrus saltator

Image Christopher Mcaskie - Talitrus saltator
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Distribution map

Talitrus saltator recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Talitrus saltator is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Georgina Budd Text page icon Refereed by: This information is not refereed.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods, joint-legged animals, e.g. insects, crustaceans & spiders
Class Malacostraca Crabs, lobsters, sand hoppers and sea slaters
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Locally common on all coasts of Britain and Ireland.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Talitrus saltator is a supralittoral amphipod usually found beneath or amongst debris and decaying algae deposited at the high water mark or during the day it may be buried at depths between 10-30 cm in the substratum.
Text page icon Description Talitrus saltator is an active supralittoral sand-hopper, growing up to 20 mm in length. It has a typical gammaridean body-plan, dorso-laterally compressed with three main divisions, head, pereon (thorax) and pleon (abdomen), both pereon and pleon are segmented and smooth. Antennae are distinct and one is much longer and robust than the other. Eyes are round and black, the body being grey-brown in colour.

This review can be cited as follows:

Georgina Budd 2005. Talitrus saltator. A sand hopper. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 18/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=4417>