Local distributions of sandhoppers and landhoppers (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) in the coastal zone of western Tasmania

Twelve species of talitrid amphipods were recorded from pitfall transects across the supralittoral and maritime zones at three localities on the west coast of Tasmania; three were sandhoppers, the rest were landhoppers. There was a sharp demarcation between the highest range of the sandhoppers and the lowest range of the landhoppers. Organic content and sodium content of the substrate in the range of the sandhoppers were very low, but rose sharply as the sand was colonised by plants, and landhoppers replaced sandhoppers. Coastal group landhopper species were restricted to a zone about 40–70 m above the high tide mark. Cooler, wetter weather increased the activity of sandhoppers, but only affected landhopper activity slightly. These differences support the idea that landhoppers did not evolve directly from sandhopper ancestors.