Ampelisca brevicornis

Researched By	Lizzie Tyler	Data Supplied By	University of Sheffield
Refereed by	This information is not refereed.
Taxonomy
Scientific name	Ampelisca brevicornis	Common name	An amphipod
MCS Code	S427	Recent Synonyms	Ampelisca bellianus
Phylum	Crustacea	Subphylum
Superclass		Class	Eumalacostraca
Subclass	Peracarida	Order	Amphipoda
Suborder	Gammaridea	Family	Ampeliscidae
Genus	Ampelisca	Species	brevicornis
Subspecies
Additional Information	Accurate identification of amphipods can be difficult and usually requires some microscopic examination (see Lincoln, 1979).
Taxonomy References	Howson & Picton, 1997, Hayward & Ryland, 1995b, Hayward et al., 1996, Lincoln, 1979
General Biology
Growth form	Articulate	Feeding method	Passive suspension feeder, Active suspension feeder, Surface deposit feeder, Sub-surface deposit feeder
Mobility/Movement	Swimmer, Crawler	Environmental position	Epifaunal, Infaunal
Typical food types	No text entered	Habit	Tubiculous
Bioturbator		Flexibility	Low (10-45 degrees)
Fragility	Intermediate	Size	Small(1-2cm)
Height		Growth Rate
Adult dispersal potential	100-1000m	Dependency	Independent
Sociability	Solitary
Toxic/Poisonous?	No
Additional Information	Create silt tubes that may be built up into extensive mats.
Biology References	Hayward & Ryland, 1990, Julie Bremner, unpub data
Distribution and Habitat
Distribution in Britain & Ireland	Common around all British and Irish coasts.
Global distribution	Found round north west Atlantic coasts from west Norway to the western Mediterranean, and in the Canary Isles. Cosmopolitan distribution, found in shallow waters from Atlantic coasts of Africa, Med, Indian and Pacific Oceans (Hastings, 1981).
Biogeographic range	Not researched	Depth range
Migratory
Distribution Additional Information
Substratum preferences	Muddy gravel, Muddy sand	Physiographic preferences	Insufficient information
Biological zone	Upper Infralittoral, Circalittoral Offshore, Sublittoral Fringe, Upper Circalittoral, Lower Circalittoral, Lower Infralittoral, Lower Eulittoral	Wave exposure	Insufficient information
Tidal stream strength/Water flow	Field unresearched	Salinity	Insufficient information
Habitat Additional Information
AMBI Group (Borja et al., 2000)	I
Distribution References	Hayward & Ryland, 1995b, Hayward et al., 1996, Lincoln, 1979, NBN, 2002, Hastings, 1981, Hayward & Ryland, 1995b
Reproduction/Life History
Reproductive type	Gonochoristic	Developmental mechanism	Direct Development
Reproductive Season		Reproductive Location	Insufficient information
Reproductive frequency	Annual protracted	Regeneration potential	No
Life span	1-2 years	Age at reproductive maturity	<1 year
Generation time	Insufficient information	Fecundity	70
Egg/propagule size		Fertilization type
Larvae/Juveniles Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential Very limited (<1m) Larval settlement period Insufficient information Duration of larval stage Not relevant
Additional Information	The majority of amphipods are known to brood their young, so that juvenile mobility is probably low but adult mobility is potentially high. Timing on breeding depends on geographic location e.g. May to Oct in one site in France, April to Dec in the other (Dauvin, 1988e), May to Sept on Isle of Man (Hastings, 1981). Some produce two generations per year, others one. First generation live only for four to five months, second generation much longer (Dauvin, 1988e).
Reproduction References	Dauvin, 1988e, Eckert, 2003, Julie Bremner, unpub data