Is long-distance dispersal of talitrids (Amphipoda) in the North Atlantic feasible?

• Published in: Crustaceana
• Main Authors: Wildish, David J., Chang, Blythe D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Brill 2017
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Aquatic Science; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685403-00003636; https://brill.com/view/journals/cr/90/2/article-p207_6.xml; https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/cr/90/2/article-p207_6.xml

Three talitrid species were found on both northwestern and northeastern Atlantic coastal regions: Orchestia gammarellus , Platorchestia platensis and P. monodi . We used the predictive surface drifter model Adrift.org.au to determine the feasibility of long-distance dispersal in either direction across the North Atlantic. Driftwood was the only rafting platform which could support talitrids, such as Platorchestia but not Orchestia , for long enough to survive a North Atlantic crossing. It is feasible that both Platorchestia platensis and P. monodi , physiologically adapted to a driftwood dispersal platform, could undertake rafting from west to east, but not from east to west. We cannot exclude the possibility of synanthropic dispersal for Platorchestia sp., which remains a viable alternative hypothesis.