Upogebia pugettensis

Upogebia pugettensis, also known as the blue mud shrimp, is a species of mud lobster from the West Coast of North America.[1]

Upogebia pugettensis
Upogebia deltaura, a related species
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Decapoda
Family:
Upogebiidae
Genus:
Upogebia
Species:
U. pugettensis
Binomial name
Upogebia pugettensis
(Dana, 1852) 

Description

Upogebia pugettensis has an elongated and broad abdomen, including a well development tail fin. The shrimp measure up to 11 cm long in adulthood. Its rostrum is hairy and includes 3 teeth. They eat detritus which they bring into their burrow using their pleopods. Upogebia pugettensis is the host of many parasites: Pseudopythina rugifera, Phyllodurus abdominalis, and Orthione griffenis.[1][2][3]

Distribution

Upogebia pugettensis is found from Valdez Narrows, Alaska, to Morro Bay, California. South of Morro Bay, U. macginitieorum, a very similar species to U. pugettensis, is found.[4]

Ecology

Upogebia pugettensis lives in Y or U shaped burrows (0.6m to 1.0m deep) that are located in inter-tidal mud flats. They usually live in pairs.[1][2]

Population decline

Upogebia pugettensis is currently facing a serious threat from the non-native isopod parasite Orthione griffenis (Markham, 2004). Female Upogebia pugettensis are infested with the parasite more than their male counterparts (80% compared to 57%). Female Orthione griffenis attach themselves to the gill of the shrimp. They then consume the blood of the host, which causes a metabolic burdening effect that greatly hampers reproductive ability. This has caused the decline.[2][5]

In 2017 the infestation was found to have extended into British Columbia.[6][7]

References
  1. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Upogebia pugettensis (Dana, 1852)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  2. "Upogebia pugettensis". inverts.wallawalla.edu. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  3. "Marine Species Identification Portal : Blue mud shrimp - Upogebia pugettensis". species-identification.org. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  4. "Upogebia pugettensis | Encyclopedia of Puget Sound". www.eopugetsound.org. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  5. Dave Cowles. "Orthione griffenis". inverts.wallawalla.edu. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  6. "A Mud Shrimp's Worst Nightmare - Hakai Institute".
  7. "Matthew Whalen et al, Poleward range expansion of invasive bopyrid isopod, Orthione griffenis Markham, 2004, confirmed by establishment in Central British Columbia, Canada, BioInvasions Records (2020). DOI: 10.3391/bir.2020.9.3.09".
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