Beach Slater

Ligia australiensis

Systematics: Isopoda Family Ligiidae

Distinguishing Characters:
The body, 12 mm long is sandy coloured, with long antennae and a pair of long forked uropods at the tail end. The eyes are conspicuous.

Habitat and Distribution:
The beach slater lives under stones and algae high up on rocky marine shores, especially near sand. It occurs in southeastern Australian states.

General Biology:
The beach slater is remarkably agile. On some rocky limestone coasts dozens of them scamper quickly to safety when rocks are overturned. These crustaceans are very difficult to catch as they are so fast! They never enter the water. Beach slaters are related more to the terrestrial slaters found in gardens and forests than to any marine isopods.

Feedback and queries should be sent to the Discovery Centre at Museum Victoria.
Please note, the Discovery Centre can help you only with questions about crustaceans from southeastern Australia. It can not advise on the care of pet hermit crabs or on crustaceans from other regions.