Behavioural adaptation to different salinities in the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Crustacea: Amphipoda): Mediterranean vs Baltic populations
Lucia Fanini A D E , Giovanni M. Marchetti B , Anna Baczewska C , Kamila Sztybor C and Felicita Scapini D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados PO Box 2214, 71003, Iraklion, Greece.
B Dipartimento di Statistica, Università di Firenze, viale Morgagni 59, 50134, Firenze, Italy.
C Institute of Oceanology – Polish Academy of Science, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81712, Sopot, Poland.
D Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, via Romana 17, 50125, Firenze, Italy.
E Corresponding author. Email: lucia@hcmr.gr
Marine and Freshwater Research 63(3) 275-281 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF11127
Submitted: 7 June 2011 Accepted: 18 November 2011 Published: 5 January 2012
Abstract
The sandhopper Talitrus saltator is common on sandy beaches at different latitudes. Therefore, behavioural variations allowing them to cope with a wide range of environmental variation are expected. To test the hypothesis that behavioural adaptations to natural environments are characterised by different salinities, we compared two behaviours (substrate choice and escape from immersion) of two T. saltator populations from a Mediterranean (high salinity) and a Baltic Sea (low salinity) sandy beach. T. saltator preferred to burrow in the high salinity substrate, irrespective of its beach of origin. Regarding orientation to escape from immersion, Baltic sandhoppers always oriented landwards, whereas Mediterranean sandhoppers showed a significant orientation landwards only when immersed in high salinity sea water. These behavioural traits matched the different environments, and this adaptation capability can be used as a model to analyse the response of a keystone species to environmental changes.
Additional keywords: behavioural adaptation, evolvability, supralittoral amphipods.
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