Orchestia mediterranea, sometimes called the Mediterranean beach hopper,[1] is a species of amphipod in the family Talitridae (sandhoppers).
This species grows to a maximum length of and is pink in colour.[1] It can be distinguished from Orchestia gammarellus by the ramus (branch) of its pleopods (swimming legs), which are as long as, or longer than, the peduncle (base segment of the antenna); in O. gammarellus the ramus of the pleopods is much shorter than the peduncle.[2]
Orchestia mediterranea is found in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the seas around Great Britain and Ireland.[3] [4]
Infection with the parasite Paramarteilia orchestiae can cause intersexual attributes in male Orchestia mediterranea.[5]
A study in Bizerte found that Orchestia mediterranea was more common in autumn than summer.[6]