Behavior of Gammaridean Amphipoda: Corophium, Grandidierella, Podocerus, and Gibberosus (American Megaluropus) in Florida

Authors

J. L. Barnard, Smithsonian Institution
James Darwin Thomas, Newfound Harbor Marine InstituteFollow
K. Sandved, Smithsonian Institution

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1988

Publication Title

Crustaceana. Supplement

ISSN

0011-216X

Volume

13

First Page

234

Last Page

244

Abstract

Behavior of Corophium, Podocerus, Grandidierella and Gibberosus (Megaluropidae) was studied by filming in regular motion, time-lapse and slow-motion photography. Corophium builds tubes from amphipod silk with or without the presence of foreign particles but Grandidierella is unable to build tubes without the presence of silt or detritus to incorporate into the tube. In Corophium much thievery of tubes occurs which causes them to be damaged and to agglutinate but to be recaptured and construction continued. Podocerus cannot build tubes but often captures empty tubes of other taxa (including other phyla). Podocerus seeks the highest part of the environment when possible and rears backward, spreading its net-like antennae into the water column. On artificial experimental pedestals a pecking order occurs where dominant individuals seek the highest elevation. Gibberosus (like Megaluropus) is morpho-functionally a reverted organism which burrows into well sorted sand in an upside-down flexed manner, leaving a hole at the sand surface between its uropodal fan and maxillipeds. One assumes feeding occurs by capture of saltating particles falling into the hole created by the individual.

Comments

Crustaceana Supplement © 1988 Brill

NSUWorks Citation

J. L. Barnard, James Darwin Thomas, and K. Sandved. 1988. Behavior of Gammaridean Amphipoda: Corophium, Grandidierella, Podocerus, and Gibberosus (American Megaluropus) in Florida .Crustaceana. Supplement : 234 -244. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/570.