Image of Megalorchestia Brandt 1851

Description:

Generally Megalorchestia californiana beachhoppers are out feeding at night and dig burrows to stay in during the day. I have seen many of their burrows underneath kelp high on the beach (see photos above). This view shows an unusual set of Megalorchestia californiana burrows at Shi Shi beach. The burrows are on a high brow of dry sand, just above a steep sand bank that drops to the lower beach. The photo is taken shortly after dawn. The night high tide came up and sculpted the sand bank but did not reach quite this far. When I passed by the area was covered with many Megalorchestia calforniana, some still walking around but most digging these characteristic, cone-like burrows. Each hole between the two pyramid-like mounds contains a beachhopper facing head-down and kicking sand up onto the mounds. The photo is looking directly away from the ocean so most of the beachhoppers were orienting themselves to the left and right on the beach whle they dug. Photo by Dave Cowles, late July 2008