Atlantic Ghost Crab, [The Cannibal]
[Ocypode Quadrata]
Ready to learn about the Hannibal Lecter of crustacean family? Hop on board!
Starter : The Atlantic ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata, is a species of ghost crab. It is a common species along the Atlantic coast of the United States, where it is the only species of ghost crab.
Some fun facts about this good spooky fella!
A 2023 study using the well known mirror test found that these crabs seem to be capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror. They are self-aware.
The atlantic ghost crabs must return to water periodically to moisten their gills, and when larvae must be released into the sea, but they are otherwise terrestrial.
Their stalked compound eyes can swivel to give them 360° vision.
Fun Fact! Ghost crabs are arguably the fastest terrestrial invertebrates, capable of running at more than a meter per second.
The Atlantic ghost crab lives in burrows (like fiddle crabs!) in sand above the strandline.
These burrows can be up to 1.3 m (4'3) deep, and can be closed off with sand during hot periods.
Young crabs are cryptically colored to blend in with their sandy habitats. This way predators are less likely to see them.
Ghostie mate can produce a variety of sounds by striking the ground with the claw, by stridulation with the legs, and an incompletely explained "bubbling sound"
O. quadrata is more active at night than in the day, and is an omnivore, eating clams, mole crabs, insects, plant material, detritus, and even other crabs. They also feed on the eggs and hatchlings of sea turtles.
CANNIBALISM!? Traitors shall walk the plank!
Ghost crabs are both predators and scavengers, and they feed at night. Their prey can be influenced by the type of beach they live on.
These fuckers arr' also mostly carnivores. They got taste, don't they?
Pic by Eugene Bobylev | [Credits] | [Credits]
