Sand Flea | Crustacean | Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos sand flea Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images Quizzes Animal Group Names Deadliest Animals Quiz Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz Animal Factoids Contents Science Insects & Other Invertebrates Crustaceans CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation sand flea crustacean Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/sand-flea Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• Live Science - How Sand Fleas Cause 'Extreme' Infections

Ask Anything Also known as: Talitridae, beach flea, beach hopper, sand hopper(Show More) Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Contents Ask Anything

sand flea, any of more than 60 terrestrial crustaceans of the family Talitridae (order Amphipoda) that are notable for their hopping ability. The European sand flea (Talitrus saltator), which is about 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) long, lives on sand beaches near the high-tide mark, remaining buried in the sand during daytime and emerging at night to forage for food. Like other sand fleas, it feeds on organic debris.

The long-horned sand flea (Americorchestia longicornis), which is found on the Atlantic coast of North America from New England to the Gulf of Mexico, is named for its antennae, which are as long as the body. The species, also known as the Atlantic sandhopper, grows to 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and is waxy white.

Also called: sand hopper, beach flea, or beach hopper (Show more) Related Topics: amphipod common sand flea long-horned sand flea European sand flea (Show more) See all related content

The common sand flea (Platorchestia platensis, formerly known as Orchestia agilis), which is found on the coast of Europe and on the eastern Atlantic coasts of the Americas from Greenland to Uruguay, is about 1 cm (0.4 inch) in length and is mostly dark brown or gray; the tail is bluish, and the antennae are reddish brown. It lives in damp sand.

Britannica Quiz Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.