Fiddler Crab Images

Fiddler Crab Images, Facts and Information:

Family Ocypodidae

• Fiddler Crabs are small, semi-terrestrial crustaceans with a distinctively asymmetrical claw structure. Males possess one large oversized claw and one small feeding claw, while females have two smaller claws of equal size. Their bodies are square-shaped, and coloration varies from tan and gray to reddish or purplish hues depending on species and habitat. Adult Fiddler Crabs typically measure about one to two inches across the carapace.
• Fiddler Crabs inhabit coastal mudflats, salt marshes, and sandy mangroves along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, ranging from Massachusetts to Texas. They are also found in tropical and subtropical coastal regions worldwide. Fiddler Crabs live in burrows they excavate in soft sediment, which provide protection from predators and temperature extremes and are used for courtship and molting.
• Fiddler Crabs feed primarily on detritus, algae, and decaying plant material. They use their smaller claw to scoop sediment into their mouths, sorting out organic material and discarding the rest as small pellets.
• Male Fiddler Crabs use their large claw for communication and mating displays, waving rhythmically to attract females and to warn rival males. During mating, females carry fertilized eggs under their abdomen until they hatch into larvae, which develop in the water before returning to land as juveniles.
• A group of Fiddler Crabs can be called a “cast” of crabs.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Fiddler Crab photos.