| Bellorchestia quoyana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Amphipoda |
| Family: | Talitridae |
| Genus: | Bellorchestia |
| Species: | B. quoyana |
| Binomial name | |
| Bellorchestia quoyana (H. Milne-Edwards, 1840) |
|
| Synonyms [1] | |
|
Talorchestia quoyana H. Milne-Edwards, 1840 |
|
Bellorchestia quoyana (formerly Talorchestia quoyana)[1] is a species of sandhopper, endemic to New Zealand. Its length is up to 14 millimetres (0.55 in). They help to keep the beaches clean by breaking down any organic material, which is vital for plant succession. They are nocturnal and bury themselves up to 30 centimetres (12 in) during the day (the drier the sand, the deeper they go).[2]