Jm. Weslawski et al., Sandhoppers, Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808) (Amphipoda, Gammaridea), atthe Polish Baltic coast: Seasonal and spatial distribution patterns, CRUSTACEANA, 73, 2000, pp. 961-969
The occurrence of sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator) was studied on a scale of
meters, hundreds of meters, and kilometres along the 30 km long Hel Penins
ula in Poland. The animals occurred in patches of several meters in diamete
r which were separated by kilometres of uninhabited sand. Seasonal movement
s occurred; animals were found in spring and early summer close to the wate
r line and in late summer and autumn Farther up on the shore. A few juvenil
es, apparently from the wintering population, were observed in April, altho
ugh the main breeding took place in late July. Two generations a year are p
roduced and the life span is 4-5 months for the spring generation and 8 mon
ths for the winter one. The juveniles tend to be more widely dispersed in c
omparison with the adults.