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Corophium Volutator |
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The unsung hero of the annual fall shorebird migration...A prominent resident of the Bay of Fundy’s mud flats, the tiny invertebrate Corophium volutator. During summer, millions of these shrimp-like creatures cruise about the wet glistening muddy surface; it is one of the most abundant animals in the intertidal mud flats. About 5 mm long, this ant-sized crustacean eats bacteria, algae and other microscopic organisms churned up daily by the tides. Though seemingly insignificant in size, the mudshrimp plays a major role in the lifecycle of migratory shorebirds. Without them there would be no sandpiper stopover. Mudshrimp dig U-shaped burrows in the mud flat. Not all mud flats are
the same and, in fact, few mud flats contain the proper combination of
coarse sand, fine silt and clay particles needed by mudshrimp to build
and maintain stable burrows. In North America, Corophium volutator occurs
only in the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine, where it is restricted
to patches of mud where the quality of sediments is just right. |
A female Corophium shown in its protective U-shaped burrow. Photo: Jim Wolford
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Text prepared by
Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) |
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