Can fluctuating asymmetry in Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808) (Crustacea, Amphipoda) populations be used as a bioindicator of stress on sandy beach ecosystems?

This study focused on verifying the fluctuating asymmetry hypothesis in the crustacean Talitrus saltator, which lives in sandy beaches. We analysed three populations, one from an unpolluted Tuscan beach relatively free of tourism, and two from Sicilian beaches which have been increasingly used for tourism and have been exposed to hydrocarbon/pesticide pollution. Results confirmed the sexual dimorphism in the second antennae flagella, which in the Tuscan population presented directional asymmetry. This population had a significant level of fluctuating asymmetry in the P6 and P3 meri. The results showed the importance of the developmental stage during which environmental mechanical stresses act.