Urothoe is a genus of very small marine amphipod crustaceans in the family Urothoidae. Members of the genus are found worldwide.

Urothoe
Urothoe brevicornis
Urothoe elegans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Amphipoda
Family: Urothoidae
Genus: Urothoe
Dana, 1852[1]
Type species
Urothoe irrostratus
Dana, 1852

Biology

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Urothods are 5–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long and live on the sea bed or in shallow burrows in gravelly substrates or muddy sand. They can swim for short distances. They are vulnerable to dredging but are able to recover afterwards and re-establish their burrows.[2] They are deposit feeders[1] and also selectively scrape microorganisms from grains of sand.[3]

Reproduction

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Urothoe reaches sexual maturity at five months and may live for about a year. The sexes are distinct and breeding takes place in the summer months. Fertilisation is internal and there are about fifteen eggs per brood, produced in a cycle of about fifteen days. Fecundity is high and the juveniles grow fast but biological dispersal is very limited.[2]

Species

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Urothoe contains the following species:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Jim Lowry; Claude De Broyer; Mark Costello & Denise Bellan-Santini (2011). Jim Lowry (ed.). "Urothoe". World Amphipoda database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Urothoe". Marine Macrofauna Genus Trait Handbook. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  3. ^ Mercedes Diana Erdey (2000). Macrobenthic trophic structure and species interactions within a future marine protected area (Belgian Coastal Banks) (PDF) (Master of Science thesis). Szent István University. pp. 1–159.