The "ghost crab."

The "ghost crab" or "running crab" is so named because of its characteristic ability to appear and disappear quickly inside its holes. 

 In fact, their scientific name, Ocypode, comes from the Greek word meaning “swift feet.” Able to reach 15 km/hour, ghost crabs are among the fastest in the world.

They dig their holes in the dry area of the beach, where the tide does not come every day. As organisms that have recently adapted to land, their behaviour, rather than their physiology, prevents them from losing water. For example, they are more active at night. 

They also obtain moisture by periodically diving into the sea and from the bottom of their burrows. They deposit their larvae in the sea. The carapace is about four centimetres long. They usually have the left claw larger than the right, although the difference is not as great as in the fiddler crab. Their long legs and developed eyes are adaptations to terrestrial life. 

Thanks to their 360-degree vision, they can hunt small invertebrates, which they feed on. They also feed on detritus found on the beach. Their main predators are seabirds and coastal vertebrates.

Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
Family: Ocypodidae
Name: Ocypode gaudichaudii
Distribution: Eastern Pacific shores from the Gulf of Fonseca (El Salvador) to Valparaíso (Chile), including oceanic islands such as the Galapagos.


Ecuador Terra Incognita