Resistance to fresh and salt water in intertidal mites (Acari: Oribatida): implications for ecology and hydrochorous dispersal

The resistance to fresh water and seawater in three intertidal oribatid mite species from Bermuda, Alismobates inexpectatus, Fortuynia atlantica and Carinozetes bermudensis, was tested in laboratory experiments. Larvae are more sensitive to fresh and salt water, nymphs and adults showed equal tolerances. Fortuynia atlantica and A. inexpectatus were more resistant to salt water whereas C. bermudensis survived longer in fresh water. Differences in the resistance to fresh and salt water among the three species may be related to their different vertical occurrences in the eulittoral zone but also to the ability of single species to dwell in periodically brackish waters. In all three species half of the specimens survived at least 10 days in fresh water and more than 18 days in salt water. Maximal submersion time in fresh and salt water ranged from 40 to 143 days. Based on median lethal times it could be estimated that each species would be able to survive transport in seawater along the Gulf Stream over a distance of 3,000 km, from Central America to Bermuda. Thus hydrochorous dispersal should be assumed as the most likely mode of dispersal in intertidal fortuyniid and selenoribatid mites.