Alright, this is a little bit of a test. Scan the image above — can you spot the isopod (an oval-shaped crustacean with a segmented body)? Look carefully, it's a tough one!
Okay, here's another view, a little bit more zoomed in (below). Can you find it now? (Hint: Look for something that doesn't look quite like sand grains.)
And, because this isopod is so cool, here's a slightly different view:
Meet Tecticeps convexus! Amazing to see how well its coloration matches the surrounding sand — black, orange, gray, white, and even pale blue!
It is so well camouflaged that it might still be hard to see, so here's another image without the sand. [Note the two dark eyes and the short antennae on the head, and the large pale spots in the center and on the last segment. You can use those features to locate the isopod in the photos above.]
Eric and I have been interested in
finding this species for many years, but it probably lives mostly in the
subtidal zone (so a little out of reach for biologists who spend
most of their time in the intertidal zone).
One more extreme close-up so you can really appreciate the colors and patterns:
3 comments:
We used to find this at Shell Beach along with Crangon handi which has the same color pattern back in the 1970's unless there is another isopod with this pattern. James Rutherford
Hi, James!
Yes! We have yet to find it at Shell Beach ourselves, but I'd love to see Tecticeps up there. Jim Carlton mentioned Tecticeps to us many years ago, so it's been on our minds, but this is the first live individual we've seen. (I think I've encountered a few molts.)
Thanks for writing!
Jackie
We would find it at low tide by shoveling sand into a sieve
Post a Comment