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''Gelasimus vomeris'' is a species of
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''Gelasimus vomeris'' is a species of fiddler
A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Although in many ...
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
found in the southwest Pacific Ocean. In Australia, it is found in the east and north from Darwin to Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
.
It is commonly known as the two-toned fiddler crab, orange-clawed fiddler crab or Southern calling fiddler crab, however the common name orange-clawed fiddler crab is also used for the fiddler crab ''Tubuca coarctata
''Tubuca coarctata'' is a species of fiddler crab found in the western Pacific ocean, including Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia (in Queensland and the Northern Territory). The common name of these crabs is e ...
''. Previous binomial names include ''Uca vomeris'' and ''Uca vocans vomeris''.
Description
Thecarapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
is up to 30 mm across, black-brown with blue patches to varying extent. 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
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or Touch, tactile form (the latter used for example in Refreshable Braille display, tactile electronic displays for blind people). When the input information that is su ...
to attract females. The lower male claw has a large triangular protection in the most distant part from the body.
If caught, the colors of ''Gelasimus vomeris'' crabs will become less brilliant within minutes, and in response to the presence of predators in an area, the blue color of these fiddler crabs will change over a few days to a dull muddy brown. .
Distribution and habitat
The preferred habitat of these crabs is unshaded sandy mud. They are found in bays,estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
and creeks, living in burrow
An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...
s 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.
References
External links
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YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{Taxonbar, from=Q63724488
Crustaceans of the Pacific Ocean
Ocypodoidea