Critter of the Week: Seaweed Darkling Beetle

Washed up seaweed might look unimportant to us, but rotting seaweed is a crucial haven for animals such as the seaweed darkling beetle. The decaying seaweed provides both shelter and sustenance, allowing them to inhabit a narrow zone of the intertidal environment. This bubble-shaped beetle exists in varying colour morphs, with light colour forms living on white sand beaches, while darker colour forms live on black sand beaches. This cryptic colour match to their sandy substrate allows them to avoid being dinner from predators such as banded dotterels, oyster catchers and gulls!