Jassa marmorata

Jassa marmorata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Amphipoda
Family: Ischyroceridae
Genus: Jassa
Species:
J. marmorata
Binomial name
Jassa marmorata
Holmes, 1905

Jassa marmorata is a species of tube-building amphipod. It is native to the northeast Atlantic Ocean but has been introduced into northeast Asia. J. marmorata are greyish in colour with reddish brown markings. The can grow to a length of up to 10 millimetres (0.39 in). They are generally found in fouling communities and intertidal areas where they build tubes of detritus and algae fragments using silky mucus secretions.[1][2][3] They are remarkable for having two distinct morphs of males with two different mating strategies. The 'major' morphs are fighter males, while the 'minor' morphs are sneaker males.[4]

J. marmorata is classified under the genus Jassa of the family Ischyroceridae. They are commonly confused with the closely related scud (Jassa falcata).[5]

  1. ^ R. L. Lord. "Crustaceans found in Guernsey marine waters including barnacles; copepods; ostracods; malacostracans (cumaceans, tanaids, mysids, isopods, amphipods, and decapods (shrimp/prawns, lobsters, anomurans, and crabs)". SmugMug. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  2. ^ Mario de Kluijver; Sarita Ingalsuo. "Jassa marmorata". Macrobenthos of the North Sea – Crustacea. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  3. ^ Jocelyn Nelson. "Jassa marmorata Holmes, 1905". Marine Biodiversity of British Columbia, LifeDesks. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  4. ^ Josepha P. Kurdziel; L. Lacey Knowles (2002). "The mechanisms of morph determination in the amphipod Jassa: implications for the evolution of alternative male phenotypes". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 269 (1502): 1749–1754. doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2089. JSTOR 3067827. PMC 1691093. PMID 12350261.
  5. ^ J. Lowry, M. Costello, D. Bellan-Santini (2011). Lowry J (ed.). "Jassa marmorata Holmes, 1905". World Amphipoda database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved February 6, 2012.