Ar.18 Gelasimus sp (Fiddler crabs)

 

Ar.18                                               Gelasimus sp (Fiddler crabs)

 

Phylum   : Arthropoda

Class       : Malacostraca

Order      : Decapoda

Family    : Ocypodidae

Genus     : Uca (Gelasimus)

 

Description: Adult males have an enlarged claw with a grey or pink upper finger, and orange lower finger and hand. Like other fiddler crabs the claw is used to scare or fight other males, and in waving displays to attract females. The lower male claw has a large triangular protection in the most distant part from the body. The preferred habitat of these crabs is unshaded sandy mud. They are found in bays, estuaries and creeks, living in burrows at lower tide levels which they stay close to, typically <1 m while feeding. There is a predominance of right handed individuals in colonies, one study finding left handed individuals forming only 1.4% of the study population

 

IUCN Status: Not evaluated