Amphipods: Amphipoda - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Skeleton Shrimp (caprella Californica): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, AMPHIPODS AND PEOPLE
live bodies animals found
Amphipods are found worldwide.
Most amphipods live on the ocean bottom and burrow in mud or debris. Many live in the open sea and are usually found on floating, jellylike animals, such as jellies and ctenophores. Others burrow into sandy beaches. About 1,200 species are found in fresh water, where they live among decaying leaves. About one hundred species live in moist habitats on land.
Amphipods eat plants, small animals, or scavenge dead bodies. One group lives on the bodies of marine mammals and eats their skin. Others attach themselves to the bodies of jellies or feed inside the bodies of tunicates.
In many freshwater and marine habitats, amphipods help break down and recycle decaying plant and animal matter. They are also eaten by other animals that are harvested as food for people.
Additional Topics
Amphipods come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but most have long, c-shaped bodies that are flat from side to side. Amphipods usually measure 0.2 to 0.6 inches (5 to 15 millimeters) in length, but some deep-sea species reach up to 9.8 inches (250 millimeters). All amphipods have bodies that are made up of three regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. Both pairs of antennae are well developed an…
Some marine amphipods spend their entire lives attached to floating mats of algae or to jellies and their relatives. One group lives as external parasites on the bodies of dolphins, porpoises, and whales. Beach hoppers and their relatives live under decaying vegetation or dig burrows in mud or sand. Both males and females are required for reproduction. Males attach themselves to the females and tr…
Physical characteristics: Skeleton shrimp measure up to 1.38 inches (35 millimeters) in length. They have long, slender bodies with very small abdomens. The pincherlike claws of the pereopods are used for grasping and climbing. Geographic range: This species is found only along the coast of central and southern California. Habitat: Skeleton shrimp live just below the tide line, where they cling to…
Physical characteristics: Unlike many amphipods, the yellow to orange bodies of this species are flattened top-to-bottom, not side-to-side. They measure up to 0.4 inches (10 millimeters). They use their hooklike claws to latch on to the skin of sperm whales. Their thoracic gills are clearly visible and resemble clumps of tiny fingers. Geographic range: Sperm whale lice are found on sperm whales, w…
Physical characteristics: Beach hoppers measure up to 1.1 inches (28 millimeters) in length. They have curved bodies that are flat from side-to-side. Their compound eyes are very small. The long second pair of antennae is bright orange to rosy red. Geographic range: Beach hoppers are found along the west coast of North America, from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, south to Laguna Beach, Califo…
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