Subphylum Crustacea Rank Species | ||
 | ||
Similar Amphipoda, Talitridae, Talitrus, Orchestia, Orchestia gammarellus | ||
Bellorchestia quoyana (formerly Talorchestia quoyana) is the largest and most common species of sandhopper, endemic to New Zealand. Its length is up to 14 millimetres (0.55 in). They help to keep the beaches clean by breaking down any organic material, which is vital for plant succession. They are nocturnal and bury themselves up to 30 centimetres (12 in) during the day (the drier the sand, the deeper they go).
Contents
Description
Bellorchestia quoyana reaches lengths of 29 millimetres, with males being slightly larger than females. The body is typically light-yellowish brown with marbled markings of a darker brown generally assimilating the appearance sand. It has a single pair of black eyes and two distinct pairs of antennae. The first pair of antennae are short and extend a little beyond the first joint of antennae 2. The second pair are more robust and extent beyond the head and first three body segments in females and over half the body length in males. The second section of antennae 2 is twice the length of the first.
Distribution
Bellorchestia quoyana is found on sandy beaches all around the coasts of New Zealand.