amphipod
Small laterally-compressed crustacean
An amphipod is a small crustacean with a laterally compressed body—flattened side to side rather than top to bottom.
Most are marine, living in sand, mud, or among seaweed, though some inhabit fresh water or moist terrestrial environments.
Sand fleas and beach hoppers are familiar examples.
The tide pool was full of tiny amphipods darting between rocks.
Seeker of refuse
- detritivoreEats dead organic material
- grazerHerbivore eating low vegetation
- preyAnimal being hunted
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
fish food · ecosystem · biodiversity · decomposition · carrion · organic matter · filter feeder · omnivore
Of the sea bottom
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- tidepoolCoastal rock hollow holding seawater
- kelpLarge brown marine algae
estuary · reef · ocean floor · seabed · intertidal · subtidal · brackish · salinity
Seven-legged-pair crustacean
- copepodMinute planktonic crustacean
- krillSmall marine crustaceans
- shrimpSmall edible crustacean
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
exoskeleton · molt · antenna · carapace · thorax · segment · gill
Drifting marine microlife
- planktonicDrifting in water
- swarmMass of moving insects
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- pelagicOf the open sea
water column · larval · migration · nekton
scavenger
Seeker of refuse
- detritivoreEats dead organic material
- grazerHerbivore eating low vegetation
- preyAnimal being hunted
food web · fish food · ecosystem · biodiversity · decomposition · carrion · organic matter · filter feeder · omnivore · predation
benthic
Of the sea bottom
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- tidepoolCoastal rock hollow holding seawater
kelp · estuary · reef · ocean floor · seabed · intertidal · subtidal · brackish · salinity · hydrothermal vent
isopod
Seven-legged-pair crustacean
chitin · exoskeleton · molt · antenna · carapace · thorax · segment · gill
plankton
Drifting marine microlife
- planktonicDrifting in water
- swarmMass of moving insects
- driftGradual movement, no direction
pelagic · water column · larval · migration · nekton
beach flea
Tiny jumping shore crustacean
- sand fleaBurrowing coastal parasite
- hopperTapered dispensing container
- jumpingPropelling oneself airborne
terrestrial · beach · shoreline · dune · burrow · nocturnal · coastal