ASSOCIATION OF A JUVENILE PHORETIC UROPODID MITE WITH THE BEACH HOPPER TRASKORCHESTIA-TRASKIANA (STIMPSON, 1857) (CRUSTACEA, TALITRIDAE)

A phoretic association of an undescribed uropodid deutonymph (Acari: U ropodidae) with the beach hopper Traskorchestia traskiana (Crustacea: Talitridae) is examined. Only juvenile mites (deutonymphs) were found attached to the coral gills of the 257 beach hoppers examined. Both pr evalence (range = 27.1-75.0%) and mean intensity (range = 1.3-3.7)incr eased as host size increased, possibly due to increased exposure time to the mites and a greater area for attachment in larger hosts. Among the gills, the mites exhibited a preference for co,:al gill 5, which m ay be due to pH and humidity gradients but did not seem to be influenc ed by grooming or agitation of the gills by adjacent appendages.