The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine

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 ...

s in the family

Ocypodidae The Ocypodidae are a family of semiterrestrial crabs that includes the ghost crabs and fiddler crabs. They are found on tropical and temperate shorelines around the world. Some genera previously included in the family are now treated as members o ...

, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, while the females' claws are both the same size. A smaller number of ghost crab and mangrove crab species are also found in the family Ocypodidae. This entire group is composed of small crabs, the largest being slightly over two inches (5 cm) across. Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish intertidal mud flats, lagoons, swamps, and various other types of brackish or salt-water

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

. Like all crabs, fiddler crabs shed their shells as they grow. If they have lost legs or claws during their present growth cycle, a new one will be present when they molt. If the large fiddle claw is lost, males will develop one on the same side after their next molt. Newly molted crabs are very vulnerable because of their soft shells. They are reclusive and hide until the new shell hardens. In a controlled laboratory setting, fiddler crabs exhibit a constant

circadian rhythm A circadian rhythm (), or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It can refer to any process that originates within an organism (i.e., Endogeny (biology), endogeno ...

that mimics the ebb and flow of the tides: they turn dark during the day and light at night.

Ecology

Found in mangroves, in salt marshes, and on sandy or muddy

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

es of

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

, the

Western Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, the

Eastern Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

and

Algarve region The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS statistical regions of Portugal, NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelho, ''concelhos'' or ''mun ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, fiddler crabs are easily recognized by their distinctively asymmetric claws. Uca perplexa male waving

Fiddler crabs communicate by a sequence of waves and gestures; males have an oversized claw or ''chela''; used in clashes of ritualised combat of courtship over a female and signal their intentions between conspecifics. The movement of the smaller claw from ground to mouth during feeding explains the crabs' common name; it looks as if the animal were playing the larger claw like a fiddle. The crab's smaller claw picks up a chunk of sediment from the ground and brings it to the mouth, where its contents are sifted through (making the crab a

detritivore Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders, or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces). There are many kinds of invertebrates, ...

). After anything edible is salvaged, be it algae,

microbe A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

, or other decaying

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...

, the sediment is replaced in the form of a little ball. The presence of these sediment balls near the entrance to a burrow is a good indication of its occupation. Some experts believe that the feeding habits of fiddler crabs play a vital role in the preservation of wetland environments; by sifting through the sands, they aerate the substrate and prevent anaerobic conditions.

Life cycle

Fiddler crabs live rather brief lives of no more than two years (up to three years in captivity). Male fiddler crabs use the major claw to perform a waving display as a form of female courtship. Females choose their mate based on claw size and also quality of the waving display. In many fiddler crab species, the female occupies the burrow of their mate while she lays her clutch of eggs. Research shows that the male major claw size is also correlated with burrow width; the width of the burrow influences incubation temperature. Therefore, the female will choose a male mate whose claw size indicates the best burrow environment for her clutch of eggs. The waving display is also thought to indicate to females the overall healthiness of the male; a more vigorous display is more difficult to do and thus requires the male to be in prime health condition, which suggests that the male will help produce viable offspring. Male versus male competition also occurs as fighting with the major claws. If a male loses his larger claw, the smaller one will begin to grow larger and the lost claw will regenerate into a new (small) claw. For at least some species of fiddler crabs, however, the small claw remains small, while the larger claw regenerates over a period of several molts, being about half its former size after the first molt. The female fiddler carries her eggs in a mass on the underside of her body. She remains in her burrow during a two-week gestation period, after which she ventures out to release her eggs into the receding tide. The larvae remain

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

ic for a further two weeks. Fiddler crabs such as '' Austruca mjoebergi'' have been shown to bluff about their fighting ability. Upon regrowing a lost claw, a crab will occasionally regrow a weaker claw that nevertheless intimidates crabs with smaller but stronger claws. This is an example of dishonest

signalling In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...

. The dual functionality of the major claw of fiddler crabs has presented an evolutionary conundrum in that the claw mechanics best suited for fighting do not match up with the mechanics best suited for a waving display.

Genera and species

More than 100 species of fiddler crabs make up 11 of the 13 genera in the crab family

. These were formerly members of the genus ''Uca''. In 2016, most of the subgenera of ''Uca'' were elevated to genus rank, and the fiddler crabs now occupy 11 genera making up the subfamilies

Gelasiminae Gelasiminae is a subfamily that pertains to nine out of the eleven fiddler crab genera within the family Ocypodidae. Taxonomy The subfamily includes 94 species within nine genera. The genera are split into two tribes that are geographically di ...

and Ucinae. * ''

Afruca ''Afruca'' is a genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae The Ocypodidae are a family of semiterrestrial crabs that includes the ghost crabs and fiddler crabs. They are found on tropical and temperate shorelines around the world. Some g ...

'' ** ''

Afruca tangeri ''Afruca tangeri'' is a species of fiddler crab that lives along the Atlantic coasts of western Africa and southwestern Europe. Description ''Afruca tangeri'' is one of the largest species of fiddler crab, with a carapace up to wide, and up to ...

'' (Eydoux, 1835) * ''

Austruca ''Austruca'' is a genus of indo-west Pacific fiddler crabs in the family Ocypodidae. There are about 13 described species in this genus. ''Austruca'' was formerly a subgenus of ''Uca'', but in 2016 it was elevated in rank to genus. Species The ...

'' ** '' Austruca albimana'' (Kossmann, 1877) (white-handed fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca annulipes'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1837) (ring-legged fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca bengali'' (bengal fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca citrus'' (citrus fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca cryptica'' (Naderloo, Türkay & Chen, 2010) (cryptic fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca iranica'' (Pretzmann, 1971) (iranian fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca lactea'' (De Haan, 1835) (milky fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca mjoebergi'' (Rathbun, 1924) (banana fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca occidentalis'' (Naderloo, Schubart & Shih, 2016) (East African fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca perplexa'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (perplexing fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca sindensis'' (Alcock, 1900) (indus fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca triangularis'' (A.Milne-Edwards, 1873) (triangular fiddler crab) ** '' Austruca variegata'' (Heller, 1862) (motley fiddler crab) * '' Cranuca'' ** '' Cranuca inversa'' (Hoffmann, 1874) * '' Gelasimus'' ** '' Gelasimus borealis'' ( Crane, 1975) (northern calling fiddler crab) ** '' Gelasimus dampieri'' ( Crane, 1975) (dampier's fiddler crab) ** '' Gelasimus excisa'' (eastern calling fiddler crab) ** '' Gelasimus hesperiae'' ( Crane, 1975) (western calling fiddler crab) ** '' Gelasimus jocelynae'' (Shih, Naruse & Ng, 2010) (jocelyn's fiddler crab) ** '' Gelasimus neocultrimanus'' (Bott, 1973) ** '' Gelasimus palustris'' Stimpson, 1862 ** '' Gelasimus pugilator'' Stimpson, 1862 ** '' Gelasimus rubripes'' Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846 ** '' Gelasimus subeylindricus'' Stimpson, 1862 ** '' Gelasimus tetragonon'' (Herbst, 1790) (tetragonal fiddler crab) ** ''

Gelasimus vocans ''Gelasimus vocans'' is a species of fiddler crab. It is found across the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea, Zanzibar and Madagascar to Indonesia and the central Pacific Ocean. It lives in burrows up to deep. Several forms of ''G. vocans'' have been ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (calling fiddler crab) ** ''

Gelasimus vomeris ''Gelasimus vomeris'' is a species of fiddler crab found in the southwest Pacific Ocean. In Australia, it is found in the east and north from Darwin to Sydney. It is commonly known as the two-toned fiddler crab, orange-clawed fiddler crab o ...

'' (McNeill, 1920) (orange-clawed fiddler crab) * ''

Leptuca ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' ** ''

Leptuca batuenta ''Leptuca batuenta'', commonly known as the beating fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the tropical eastern Pacific, from El Salvador to northern Peru. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the species was transfe ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (beating fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca beebei ''Leptuca beebei'', commonly known as Beebe's fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the Pacific coasts of Central and South America, from El Salvador to northern Peru. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the specie ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (Beebe's fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca coloradensis'' (Rathbun, 1893) (painted fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca crenulata'' (Lockington, 1877) (Mexican fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca cumulanta ''Leptuca cumulanta'', commonly known as the heaping fiddler crab or the mangrove fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to tropical and subtropical areas of the western Atlantic. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', th ...

'' ( Crane, 1943) (heaping fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca deichmanni ''Leptuca deichmanni'', commonly known as Deichmann's fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the eastern Pacific coast of Central America, in Costa Rica and Panama. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the species wa ...

'' (Rathbun, 1935) (Deichmann's fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca dorotheae ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' (von Hagen, 1968) (Dorothy's fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca festae ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' (Nobili, 1902) (Festa's fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca helleri ''Leptuca helleri'', commonly known as Heller's fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab endemic to the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the species was transferred in 2016 to ...

'' (Rathbun, 1902) (Heller's fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca inaequalis'' (Rathbun, 1935) (uneven fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca latimanus ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' (Rathbun, 1893) (lateral-handed fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca leptodactyla ''Leptuca leptodactyla'', commonly known as the thin-fingered fiddler crab or the western Atlantic fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the western Atlantic coast of the Americas. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca' ...

'' (Rathbun, 1898) (thin-fingered fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca limicola ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (Pacific mud fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca musica ''Leptuca musica'', commonly known as the musical fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to Baja California and the Gulf of California in Mexico. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the species was transferred in 2016 ...

'' (Rathbun, 1914) (musical fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca oerstedi ''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas. Description They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...

'' (Rathbun, 1904) (aqua fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca panacea ''Leptuca panacea'', commonly known as the Gulf sand fiddler crab or the Panacea sand fiddler, is a species of fiddler crab native to coastal habitats along the Gulf of Mexico from northwestern Florida to Mexico. Taxonomy This species is the si ...

'' (Novak & Salmon, 1974) (gulf sand fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca pugilator ''Leptuca pugilator'', the sand fiddler crab, Atlantic sand fiddler crab, or Calico fiddler, is a species of fiddler crab that is found from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. It lives in burrows in coastal and estuarine mud-flats, and can be e ...

'' (Bosc, 1802) (Atlantic sand fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca pygmaea'' ( Crane, 1941) (pygmy fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca saltitanta ''Leptuca saltitanta'', commonly known as the energetic fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the eastern Pacific coasts, from El Salvador in Central America to Colombia in South America. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (energetic fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca speciosa ''Leptuca speciosa'', commonly known as the brilliant fiddler crab or the longfinger fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the southern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Before 2016, the species was known as ''Uca speciosa ...

'' (Ives, 1891) (brilliant fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca spinicarpa ''Leptuca spinicarpa'', commonly known as the spiny-wristed fiddler crab or the spined fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to coastal habitats along the Gulf of Mexico from northwestern Florida to Mexico. Taxonomy Previously a mem ...

'' (Rathbun, 1900) (spiny-wristed fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca stenodactylus'' (

Milne-Edwards Milne-Edwards is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Henri Milne-Edwards (1800–1885), French zoologist * Alphonse Milne-Edwards (1835–1900), French ornithologist and carcinologist, a son of Henri Milne-Edwards See also * Milne ...

& Lucas, 1843) (narrow-fingered fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca subcylindrica ''Leptuca subcylindrica'', commonly known as the Laguna Madre fiddler crab or the puffed fiddler crab, is a sparsely-studied species of fiddler crab native to southern Texas and northeastern Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico. Before 2016, the species ...

'' (Stimpson, 1859) (Laguna Madre fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca tallanica'' (von Hagen, 1968) (Peruvian fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca tenuipedis'' ( Crane, 1941) (slender-legged fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca terpsichores ''Leptuca terpsichores'', commonly known as the dancing fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to the eastern Pacific coast of the Americas, from Nicaragua to Peru. Taxonomy Previously a member of the genus ''Uca'', the species was t ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (dancing fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca thayeri ''Leptuca thayeri'', known generally as the Atlantic mangrove fiddler crab or mangrove fiddler, is a species of true crab in the family Ocypodidae. It is distributed all across the Western Atlantic. ''Leptuca thayeri'' was formerly a member of t ...

'' M. J. Rathbun, 1900 (Atlantic mangrove fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca tomentosa'' ( Crane, 1941) (matted fiddler crab) ** '' Leptuca umbratila'' ( Crane, 1941) (Pacific mangrove fiddler crab) ** ''

Leptuca uruguayensis ''Leptuca uruguayensis'', commonly known as the Uruguayan fiddler crab or the southwestern Atlantic fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to temperate and subtropical areas of the southeastern coast of South America. Taxonomy Previo ...

'' (Nobili, 1901) (Uruguayan fiddler crab) * '' Minuca'' ** ''

Minuca argillicola Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (clay fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca brevifrons Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho (18 July 1944 – 23 April 2010), known as Minuca, was a Brazilian football player. He playe ...

'' (Stimpson, 1860) (narrow-fronted fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca burgersi Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho (18 July 1944 – 23 April 2010), known as Minuca, was a Brazilian football player. He playe ...

'' (Holthuis, 1967) (burger's fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca ecuadoriensis Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho (18 July 1944 – 23 April 2010), known as Minuca, was a Brazilian football player. He playe ...

'' (Maccagno, 1928) (Pacific hairback fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca galapagensis Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho (18 July 1944 – 23 April 2010), known as Minuca, was a Brazilian football player. He playe ...

'' (galápagos fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca herradurensis Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho (18 July 1944 – 23 April 2010), known as Minuca, was a Brazilian football player. He playe ...

'' (Bott, 1954) (la herradura fiddler crab) ** '' Minuca longisignalis'' (Salmon & Atsaides, 1968) (longwave gulf fiddler) ** ''

Minuca marguerita Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (Thurman, 1981) (olmec fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca minax ''Minuca minax'', commonly known as the red‐jointed fiddler crab or brackish-water fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab that is found in the United States from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the most common macroinverte ...

'' (Le Conte, 1855) (red-jointed fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca mordax Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (Smith, 1870) (biting fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca osa Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (Landstorfer & Schubart, 2010) (osa fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca pugnax ''Minuca pugnax'', commonly known as the Atlantic marsh fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab that lives on north-western shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Distribution ''Minuca pugnax'' is the most common species of fiddler crab on the east co ...

'' (S. I. Smith, 1870) (Atlantic marsh fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca rapax ''Minuca rapax'', also known by its common name mudflat fiddler crab, is a species from the genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus ...

'' (Smith, 1870) (mudflat fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca umbratila Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' Crane, 1941 (Pacific mangrove fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca victoriana Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (von Hagen, 1987) (victorian fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca virens Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (Salmon & Atsaides, 1968) (green-banded fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca vocator Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' (Herbst, 1804) (Atlantic hairback fiddler crab) ** ''

Minuca zacae Minuca may refer to: * ''Minuca'' (crab), genus of crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae * Minuca (footballer) (1944–2010), Hermínio Francisco de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian footballer {{disambiguation, hn ...

'' ( Crane, 1941) (lesser Mexican fiddler crab) * '' Paraleptuca'' ** '' Paraleptuca boninensis'' (Shih, Komai & Liu, 2013) (bonin islands fiddler crab) ** ''

Paraleptuca chlorophthalmus ''Paraleptuca chlorophthalmus'', is a common fiddler crab found in the mangroves of East Africa, from Somalia to South Africa, as well as Madagascar and Mauritius. Marsh fiddlers dig burrows in the muddy or sandy banks of salt marshes, which they ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1837) (green-eyed fiddler crab) ** ''

Paraleptuca crassipes ''Paraleptuca crassipes'' or the thick-legged fiddler crab is a species of fiddler crab that lives in intertidal habitats distributed across the western Pacific Ocean. ''Paraleptuca crassipes'' was formerly a member of the genus ''Uca'', but in ...

'' (White, 1847) (thick-legged fiddler crab) ** '' Paraleptuca splendida'' (Stimpson, 1858) (splendid fiddler crab) * '' Petruca'' ** '' Petruca panamensis'' Ng, Shih & Christy, 2015 * ''

Tubuca ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' ** ''

Tubuca acuta ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * ''Tubuca alcocki'' ...

'' (Stimpson, 1858) (acute fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca alcocki ''Tubuca alcocki'' is a species of fiddler crab. Its range includes most of the northern Indian Ocean, from western Thailand (facing the Andaman Sea), through the Bay of Bengal and India, to the Red Sea. Etymology The specific name ''alcocki'' i ...

'' Shih, Chan & Ng, 2018 (alcock's fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca arcuata ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (De Haan, 1835) (bowed fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca australiae ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * ''Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * ''Tubuca alcocki'' ...

'' ( Crane, 1975) ** ''

Tubuca bellator ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * ''Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * ''Tubuca alcocki'' ...

'' (White, 1847) (belligerent fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca capricornis ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * ''Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * ''Tubuca alcocki'' ...

'' ( Crane, 1975) (capricorn 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 ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (compressed fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca demani ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (Ortmann, 1897) (demanding fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca dussumieri ''Tubuca dussumieri'', is a species of fiddler crab that is found in the western and south pacific including New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, north eastern Australia Description ''Tubuca dussumieri'' males have one claw that ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (dussumier's fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca elegans ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (George & Jones, 1982) (elegant fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca flammula ''Tubuca flammula'', commonly known as the flame-backed fiddler crab is a species of fiddler crab that is found in the northwest of Western Australia, the northern part of the Northern Territory and the western half of Papua New Guinea ''Tubuca ...

'' ( Crane, 1975) (flame-backed fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca forcipata ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (Adams & White, 1849) (forceps fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca hirsutimanus ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (George & Jones, 1982) (hairy-handed fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca longidigitum ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (Kingsley, 1880) (long-fingered fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca paradussumieri ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (Bott, 1973) (spined fiddler crab) ** '' Tubuca polita'' ( Crane, 1975) (polished fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca rhizophorae ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' (Tweedie, 1950) (Asian mangrove fiddler crab) ** '' Tubuca rosea'' (Tweedie, 1937) (rose fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca seismella ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * ''Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki'' ...

'' ( Crane, 1975) (shaking fiddler crab) ** '' Tubuca signata'' (Hess, 1865) (signaling fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca typhoni ''Tubuca'' is a genus in Ocypodidae, a family of fiddler and ghost crabs. There are more than 20 described species in ''Tubuca''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Tubuca'': * '' Tubuca acuta'' (Stimpson, 1858) * '' Tubuca alcocki' ...

'' ( Crane, 1975) (typhoon fiddler crab) ** ''

Tubuca urvillei ''Tubuca urvillei'' is a species of fiddler crab. It is found in the Southeastern Africa from southern Somalia to the South Africa and Madagascar. ''Tubuca urvillei'' was formerly a member of the genus ''Uca'', but in 2016 it was placed in the g ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (d'urville's fiddler crab) * ''Uca'' ** †''

Uca antiqua The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Brito, 1972 ** '' Uca heteropleura'' (Smith, 1870) (American Red fiddler crab) ** †''

Uca inaciobritoi The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Martins-Neto, 2001 ** ''

Uca insignis The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (distinguished fiddler crab) ** ''

Uca intermedia The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' von Prahl & Toro, 1985 (intermediate fiddler crab) ** ''

Uca major The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, while ...

'' Herbst, 1782 (greater fiddler crab) ** †''

Uca marinae The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, while ...

'' Dominguez-Alonso, 2008 ** ''

Uca maracoani The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Latreille 1803 (Brazilian fiddler crab) ** ''

Uca monilifera The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Rathbun, 1914 (necklaced fiddler crab) ** †''

Uca nitida The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Desmarest, 1822 ** †''

Uca oldroydi The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Rathbun, 1926 ** ''

Uca ornata The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, while ...

'' (Smith, 1870) (ornate fiddler crab) ** '' Uca princeps'' (Smith, 1870) (large Mexican fiddler crab) ** ''

Uca stylifera The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, while ...

'' ( H.Milne Edwards, 1852) (styled fiddler crab) ** ''

Uca subcylindrica The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...

'' Stimpson, 1862 (Laguna Madre fiddler) * '' Xeruca'' ** '' Xeruca formosensis'' (Rathbun, 1921)

Gallery

Captivity

Fiddler crabs are occasionally kept as pets. The fiddler crabs sold in pet stores generally come from brackish water lagoons. Because they live in lower salinity water, pet stores may call them fresh-water crabs, but they cannot survive indefinitely in fresh water. Fiddler crabs have been known to attack small fish in captivity, as opposed to their natural feeding habits.

References

External links

*
Movie of two fiddler crabs (''Uca lactea lactea'') waving the enlarged claw
- University of Kyoto
Info on systematics, phylogeny and morphology of fiddlers
- Fiddlercrab.info
The colorful fiddler crabs in the mangrove forest of Borneo
- mysabah.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q1329937 Ocypodoidea Asymmetry Arthropod common names