About Excirolana chiltoni (Richardson, 1905)
Excirolana chiltoni, commonly called the "sand piranha", is a species of isopod that belongs to the family Cirolanidae. It is also commonly referred to as a "water-line isopod". This species is native to warm tropical and subtropical nearshore shallow waters along Pacific coasts. Its native range extends from Japan and Korea to South China on the western Pacific, and from the Pacific Northwest to Chocó, Colombia on the eastern Pacific. E. chiltoni grows to approximately 8 millimeters (0.31 inches) in length, and can form swarms containing more than 1,000 individuals. It is an arenicolous species, meaning it spends most of its life burrowed beneath sandy beaches. It is a scavenger and detritivore that is most active during high tides. It feeds on proteinaceous materials, including decaying carcasses of dead aquatic animals washed ashore, and will occasionally vigorously bite and chew the skin of humans visiting beaches and other animals.
