Africorchestia quadrispinosa

Lowry, J. K. & Baldanzi, S., 2016, New talitrids from South Africa (Amphipoda, Senticaudata, Talitroidea, Talitridae) with notes on their ecology, Zootaxa 4144 (2), pp. 151-174 : 171

Africorchestia quadrispinosa

Africorchestia quadrispinosa was first described by K.H. Barnard in 1916, but has been less studied than C. capensis and little is known about its ecology. It is found on kelp-dominated sandy shores on the West coast of Southern Africa ( Fig 13 ), from Cape Aghulas (Western Cape, South Africa) to the Skeleton Coast Park ( Namibia) ( Branch et al. 2008, Baldanzi et al. 2013). The abundance of A. quadrispinosa is higher towards the northern limit of distribution (Namibian coasts), while animals are bigger in size towards the southern limit ( Baldanzi et al., 2013). The previous authors, during the collection survey in winter 2010, found no differences in size between males and females and absence of ovigerous females, suggesting a different reproductive cycle than C. capensis , collected during the same period of time (SB pers. obs). The abundance of A. quadrispinosa was well correlated with salinity, sand temperature, debris coverage and morphodynamic state of the shore ( Baldanzi et al. 2013). No data are available on behavioural and feeding ecology of A. quadrispinosa . However, observations during the surveys in 2010, 2011 and 2012, lead to consider A. quadrispinosa as a sand-hopper (sensu Bousfield, 1992), as it burrows deep in the sand when necessary.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Map of South Africa (RSA) and Namibia (NAM) showing the geographical distribution of Capeorchestia capensis (solid line), Africorchestia quadrispinosa (dotted line) and A. meridionalis (dashed line). The spatial distribution of C. capensis overlap with the one of A. quadrispinosa (on the west coast of South Africa) and with A. meridionalis (south coast of South Africa).