Haustorius canadensis

Bousfield, 1962

Haustorius canadensis is a sand-burrowing amphipod in the Haustoriidae, found in sandy beach of northern New England. The exhibits a mixed – , with approximately half the reproducing after one year and the remainder after two years. It is a member of intertidal macro-infauna , co-occurring with Acanthohaustorius millsi and Amphiporeia virginiana. show seasonal movements upshore in spring and downshore in autumn and winter.

Haustorius canadensis by (c) Even Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Even Dankowicz. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Haustorius canadensis: /haʊsˈtɔːriəs kænəˈdɛnsɪs/

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Habitat

Sandy marine intertidal and shallow subtidal zones; sand-burrowing found in beach of northern New England. The species shows seasonal shore movements, shifting upshore during spring and downshore during autumn and winter.

Distribution

Northern New England, east coast of North America; specifically documented from southern Maine and the southern shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. GBIF records indicate presence in the Northwest Atlantic.

Seasonality

Breeding occurs from May through September. recruitment takes place in July and August. peak in summer and reach lowest levels in winter.

Life Cycle

Mixed – : approximately 50% of individuals reproduce after one year, remainder after two years. development takes 4–5 weeks at 15°C. Females produce multiple per season with 2–22 eggs per brood (mean 7.6). reproductive female size approximately 6 mm.

Behavior

Sand-burrowing; exhibits seasonal vertical on shore, moving upshore in spring and downshore in autumn and winter.

Ecological Role

member of sandy beach macro-infauna ; contributor to and energy flow in intertidal sand . Co-dominates with Acanthohaustorius millsi and Amphiporeia virginiana in these .

Similar Taxa

Acanthohaustorius millsiCo- haustoriid amphipod in same sandy beach of northern New England; distinguished by morphological features of the Acanthohaustorius
Amphiporeia virginianaCo- amphipod in same intertidal sand ; belongs to Pontoporeiidae rather than Haustoriidae

More Details

Life history variation

The mixed – pattern in southern Maine contrasts with the strictly annual life history observed on the southern shore of Cape Cod, suggesting a latitudinal gradient in life history strategy correlated with temperature.

Sexual dimorphism

Males reach larger maximum sizes than females despite females being the size for (approximately 6 mm). Sex ratio remains close to 1:1 throughout the year.