Talitridae

Talitridae
Talitrus saltator
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Amphipoda
Superfamily: Talitroidea
Family: Talitridae
Rafinesque, 1815
Megalorchestia californiana

Talitridae is a family of amphipods. Terrestrial species are often referred to as landhoppers and beach dwellers are called sandhoppers or sand fleas. The name sand flea is misleading, though, because these talitrid amphipods are not siphonapterans (true fleas), do not bite people, and are not limited to sandy beaches.[1]

Marine amphipods are often washed up in the strandline, but die rapidly on drying out. Talitrids differ in being able to survive for a long time out of water; some Southern Hemisphere species are entirely terrestrial.[2]

It contains these genera:[3]

  1. ^ "Sand Fleas: Characteristics, Bite & Useful Info". Sand-boarding.com. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ Edward L. Bousfield (2007). "Talitridae". In James T. Carlton (ed.). The Light and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from central California to Oregon (4th ed.). University of California Press. pp. 611–613. ISBN 978-0-520-23939-5.
  3. ^ C. De Broyer, M. Costello, D. Bellan-Santini (2021). Lowry J (ed.). "Talitridae". World Amphipoda database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 20 November 2021.