Africorchestia meridionalis

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 : 172

Africorchestia meridionalis

Based on the collection survey in 2010, the spatial distribution of A. meridionalis seems to be restricted to the South Coast of South Africa ( Fig 13 ), ranging from Cape Agulhas (Western Cape) to Kidd’s Beach (Eastern Cape). The pattern of abundance appears to be driven mainly by the temperature of the sand and water, measured at the time of collection (winter 2010, Baldanzi unpublished data). No differences in size have been found between males and females, furthermore no ovigerous females have ever been collected. This species seems to prefer macroalgae and debris of riverine origin, as it has mainly been found underneath such type of wrack and on the proximities of estuaries (Baldanzi, pers. obs). This observation could be interpreted both in terms of habitat exclusion due to interspecific competition with A. capensis (both can be found at the same location) or differences on feeding choice. We suggest that A. meridionalis falls under the category of beach-hopper (sensu Bousfield, 1992) as it does not modify the substrate, but rather lives underneath the macroalgae without burrowing deep in the sand (SB, pers. obs.).

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).