freefall

I was wandering along the edge of a sea loch in Argyll, when I came across this little flotilla of Collembola a.k.a. Springtails (Anurida maritima) on the surface of a shallow rock pool.

I am used to seeing other species of Collembola on rotting wood and so on, but it always takes me by surprise a bit when I come across this marine species. They are fascinating to watch ... individuals seem to bounce off the main group, as though propelled by an electric charge, and then form either new groups or re-aggregate with the main group.

 

I found this info on-line:

 

"The entire body of the Collembola is covered with white hydrophobic hairs which allow the animal to stay above the surface of the water on which it spends much of its life. Aggregation is an important aspect of collembolan biology, and A. maritima has been shown to produce an aggregating pheromone. Like many intertidal animals, A. maritima moves in rhythm with the tidal cycle, and has an endogenous circatidal rhythm with a period of hours, using visual cues to orient themselves during their movements."

Wiki

Done