Beach-hopper
Guides
Americorchestia
beach hoppers
Americorchestia is a genus of beach hoppers (amphipods) in the family Talitridae, established by Bousfield in 1991. The genus contains five described species, including the common Atlantic sandhopper (A. longicornis) and the northern big-eyed sandhopper (A. megalophthalma). These amphipods inhabit coastal environments and are characterized by their jumping locomotion.
Americorchestia longicornis
Common Atlantic sandhopper
Americorchestia longicornis, the common Atlantic sandhopper, is a beach-dwelling amphipod in the family Talitridae. It inhabits sandy coastal environments along the Atlantic seaboard, where it functions as a detritivore and scavenger. The species is distinguished from similar beach hoppers by its elongated antennae, as reflected in its specific epithet.
Megalorchestia corniculata
beach hopper
Megalorchestia corniculata is a beach-dwelling amphipod in the family Talitridae, commonly known as a beach hopper. It inhabits sandy intertidal zones along the Pacific coast of North America. The species plays a significant ecological role as a consumer of marine wrack, contributing to nutrient cycling in coastal ecosystems.
Thinopinus pictus
Pictured Rove Beetle
Thinopinus pictus is a wingless rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) endemic to sandy beaches along the Pacific coast of North America from southern Alaska to Baja California. Both larvae and adults are strictly nocturnal predators that emerge from temporary sand burrows at night to hunt beach hoppers (Orchestoidea). The species exhibits limited dispersal and predictable emergence patterns tied to tidal cycles, with populations forming a 15–30 meter wide band that shifts seaward during neap tides and landward during spring tides.
Traskorchestia
beach hoppers
Traskorchestia is a genus of beach hoppers in the family Talitridae, established by Bousfield in 1982. The genus contains at least three described species: T. georgiana, T. ochotensis, and T. traskiana (the Pacific beach hopper). These amphipods inhabit coastal environments and are part of the supralittoral community.
Traskorchestia traskiana
Pacific beach hopper
Traskorchestia traskiana, the Pacific beach hopper, is a supralittoral amphipod inhabiting coastal beaches of the Pacific Northwest. Its activity patterns are directly influenced by tidal inundation cycles, with behavioral adaptations to periodic flooding in the zone above the high tide line. The species has been studied for its population biology and behavioral responses to environmental conditions in nearshore ecosystems.