Life Histories of Infaunal Amphipods from Subtidal Sands of Monterey Bay, California

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Members of the amphipod families Phoxocephalidae and Haustoriidae are small, mobile, efficient sand-burrowers. Three species are particularly dominant in the crustacean zone on subtidal sands of Monterey Bay. Life history traits of two phoxocephalids and one haustoriid characterize them as annual, univoltine, and producing a few, large eggs. However, the two families differ in several significant ways: time of year that they reproduce, sex ratios, swimming behavior, and diet. These contrasts reflect greater specialization, including method of reproduction in the haustoriids. These differences suggest that the phoxocephalids retain typical gammaridean amphipod reproductive methods which compromise their burrowing life-style through disadvantageous morphological and behavioral characteristics.