Springtail (Anurida maritima)
Springtail (Anurida maritima)
Common name: marine springtail
Scientific name: Anurida maritima
Locations: intertidal feeding on barnacles
Seasonality: available year round
Color: deep blue-black
Size: 1/16”
Collected: by hand
Quantity: sold by the each
Tidepool Tim says, “Springtails are among the few insects that live on the beach, and they don’t take up much space. At their maximum, one might be 1/16" long. They’ll be noticed feeding on a barnacle as a group, deep blackish blue. Springtails have some super adaptations that allow them to be a marine species. Little hairs cover these creatures and repel water. The hairs are also useful for living on the surface tension of a tidepool. When the tide returns, they hide in crevices and breathe using air bubbles caught in their hairs.”