TALITRIDAE, Rafinesque, 1815

Mead, A., Carlton, J. T., Griffiths, C. L. & Rius, M., 2011, Introduced and cryptogenic marine and estuarine species of South Africa, Journal of Natural History 45 (39 - 40), pp. 2463-2524 : 2488

Family TALITRIDAE

Orchestia gammarella Pallas, 1776 Introduced (= Orchestia gammarellus ; = Talorchestia inaequalipes Barnard, 1951 )

This well-known, globally distributed, European shore hopper ( Henzler and Ingolfsson 2008) was collected by the University of Cape Town Ecological Survey from Langebaan on the west coast of South Africa. This led Barnard (1951) to describe it as a new species, Talorchestia inaequalipes . Long regarded as an endemic species, this was recognized as synonymous with Orchestia gammarella by Griffiths (1975). It is locally common along the drift-line (under rocks and on debris) and among dune vegetation. It is known in South Africa from Langebaan ( Barnard 1951), Table Bay (from our own 2008 collections at Milnerton Lagoon) and from 1949, in Knysna Estuary on the southeast coast ( Griffiths 1974). We regard it as an early introduction with solid (dry) ballast.

Platorchestia platensis (Krøyer, 1845) Introduced (= Orchestia platensis )

This “tramp” amphipod was reported as Orchestia platensis from a single coastal location at Danger Point, Gansbaai, on the Cape South coast in 1904 ( Griffiths 1975). Surveys have not been conducted at Danger Point since 1904 so there is no evidence that populations of Platorchestia platensis are no longer present at this location. It has been recorded from many warm shores of the world and may be a species complex. Although of unknown geographic origin, we regard it as introduced to South Africa because of its highly restricted distribution and its known “weed” status. As with Orchestia gammarella , we consider it to be an early introduction with solid ballast.