Biodiversity & Conservation

A sand hopper - Talitrus saltator

A sand hopper

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Distribution map

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

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Talitrus saltator is not listed under any importance categories.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy Taxon English term
Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods, joint-legged animals, e.g. insects, crustaceans & spiders
Class Malacostraca Crabs, lobsters, sand hoppers and sea slaters
Authority (Montagu, 1808)
Recent synonyms Talitrus locusta
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.
Identifying features
  • A laterally compressed robust body; pereon is broad, pleon rather compressed.
  • Large head without rostrum, mouth-parts pendant (hang down) and mandible without palp.
  • Antenna 1 much shorter than peduncle of antenna 2; antenna 2 more robust and flagellum appears serrated.
  • In females, antenna 2, although longer than antenna 1, is much shorter and less robust than in males.
  • Seven pairs of thoracic limbs, the first two pairs are modified as gnathopods.
  • Gnathopods 1 and 2 are similar in both sexes. Gnathopod 1 simple but robust with an elongated 5th limb segment (carpus). The final segment of gnathopod 2 (the propodus) is 'mitten' shaped.
  • Walking legs (pereopods) are robust and spined.
  • Telson (flap-like tail structure) slightly wider than long with several spines.
  • Talitrus saltator is immediately distinguishable from Talorchestia by examination of the ramus of the 3rd uropod (appendage of the pleon). In Talitrus the ramus has 4 strong dorsal spines and terminates in a spine almost as long as the ramus.
Additional information icon Additional information An extensive review of the Talitridae was published by Bulycheva (1957) in which the concept of the family was reconsidered and a number of genera removed to newly erected families, Hyalidae and Hyalellidae. The separation provides a convenient ecological grouping with the truly terrestrial genera in the Talitridae, a family consisting of five genera (Talitrus, Orchestia, Talorchestia, Talitroides and Brevitalitrus), all of which are recorded in the British Isles. Talitrus are a small circumtropical genus comprising about 10 recognized species but Talitrus saltator is the only species that extends into the north east Atlantic area (Lincoln, 1979).

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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 09/02/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=4417>