Corophium volutator
Encyclopedia
Corophium volutator, one of several organisms called mud shrimp
, is a small (up to 10 millimetre or 0.393700787401575 in long) amphipod of the family Corophiidae
.
It inhabits the upper layers of sand
on the coasts of the Netherlands
, Germany
, the United Kingdom
and France
, as well as in the Bay of Fundy
on the coasts of Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick
.
Like most amphipods, C. volutator feeds on plankton
. At high tide
, it produces a current with its slightly elongated hind legs, to make the water flow through its tube. On low tide, it scratches along the surface with its elongated second pair of antennae, producing star-like patterns.
The silk-lined U-shaped tubes reach about 3 cm deep in summer, and up to 12 cm in winter, to escape the freezing point. The tubes have a diameter of about 2 mm. When travelling, C. volutator produces patterns similar to a zipper.
The species lives up to a year, and produces up to three generations during its lifetime. The females brood the eggs inside their brood pouch or marsupium
. They are resistant to significant fluctuations in salinity.
They can occur in huge quantities: up to 60,000 per m2 have been observed. This makes them an important part of the food chain.
The specific epithet volutator comes from the Latin
, meaning "to wallow".
Mud shrimp
The term mud shrimp is used for a number of different mud-dwelling crustaceans:*Infraorder Thalassinidea, including genera such as Callianassa, Pestarella and Upogebia*Corophium volutator, an amphipod of the North Atlantic...
, is a small (up to 10 millimetre or 0.393700787401575 in long) amphipod of the family Corophiidae
Corophiidae
Corophiidae is a family of amphipods, containing the following genera:*Americorophium Bousfield & Hoover, 1997*Anonychocheirus Moore & Myers, 1983*Apocorophium Bousfield & Hoover, 1997*Bathyphotis Stephensen, 1944*Cheirimedeia J. L...
.
It inhabits the upper layers of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
on the coasts of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, as well as in the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
on the coasts of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Like most amphipods, C. volutator feeds on plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
. At high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
, it produces a current with its slightly elongated hind legs, to make the water flow through its tube. On low tide, it scratches along the surface with its elongated second pair of antennae, producing star-like patterns.
The silk-lined U-shaped tubes reach about 3 cm deep in summer, and up to 12 cm in winter, to escape the freezing point. The tubes have a diameter of about 2 mm. When travelling, C. volutator produces patterns similar to a zipper.
The species lives up to a year, and produces up to three generations during its lifetime. The females brood the eggs inside their brood pouch or marsupium
Brood pouch (Peracarida)
The marsupium or brood pouch, is a characteristic feature of Peracarida, including the orders Amphipoda, Isopoda and Cumacea. It is an egg chamber formed by oostegites, which are appendices which are attached to the coxae of the first pereiopods...
. They are resistant to significant fluctuations in salinity.
They can occur in huge quantities: up to 60,000 per m2 have been observed. This makes them an important part of the food chain.
The specific epithet volutator comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, meaning "to wallow".