#talitridae

The next time you hit the beach, keep an eye out for sand hoppers! Only 1-2 cm (0.39-0.78 in) long, these tiny crustaceans can jump as high as 40 cm (15 in) or a distance of over a meter (39 in)! Their remarkable leaping abilities come from their tails, which sand hoppers tuck under their bodies and then flick out like a spring board.

(Image: A species of sand hopper, Talitrus saltator, by Eric Walravens)

Mexorchestia carpenteri carpenteri

Wakulla County, Florida

These guys are seemingly the most common talitrid (sandhopper) in the panhandle area. I collected this guy by simply walking up to some beach debris disturbing it, and opening a vial, he jumped right in!

An adorable little talitrid amphipod (cf. Orchestia) hitching a ride on a Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata).

One of our local crustaceans. Not something I get many complaints about, because the only way they'll survive in a house is if there's a major moisture problem. Most amphipods can't survive out of water, but the Talitrid sandhoppers on the beach and landhoppers even further inland can be fully terrestrial.