Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 May 2009
Ten stations were sampled in the shallow-water sand habitat of Strangford Lough using a naturalist's dredge. Sediment samples were analysed to determine median diameter (ranging from 1·13 to 3·23 ø), Phi quartile deviation (ranging from 0·17 to 0·65 ø) and Phi quartile skewness (ranging from –0·11 to –0·04 ø).
Twenty-two species of amphipod belonging to thirteen families were identified; ten species were new records for Strangford Lough and the Family Phoxocephalidae was recorded for the first time. The average number of species per station was nine and average abundance was 660 amphipods per station. The most frequently occurring species was the caprellid Phtisica marina (present in 90% of the samples); the overall dominant species was the corophiid Corophium crassicorne representing 52% of all specimens recorded.