Importance of orientation to the sun and local landscape features in young inexpert Talitrus saltator (Amphipoda: Talitridae) from two Italian beaches differing in morphodynamics, erosion or stability

Juvenile sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator Montagu 1808; Crustacea: Amphipoda) were tested under natural conditions to examine their ability to orient to the sun and local features. Experiments were carried out on two Italian sandy beaches subject to different geomorphological dynamics, one under erosion from the sea and the other one under morphodynamic equilibrium (between erosion and accretion). Laboratory-born samples of each population were tested on their beach of origin and compared with wild individuals of the same age; other laboratory-born samples were tested on both beaches, that of origin and the other beach. The population from the beach displaying geomorphologic equilibrium, oriented seawards on both beaches, referring to the sun and the local landscape, while the population from the beach under erosion tended to orient to prominent landscape features on both beaches displaying a scototaxis. These results showed the importance of orientation to local landscape features in young inexpert talitrids, and the innateness of this behaviour in natural populations when shoreline stability allows for a genetic stabilisation of orientation mechanisms.