Ghost crab
Subfamily of crustaceans / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Ghost crab?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Ghost crabs are semiterrestrial crabs of the subfamily Ocypodinae. They are common shore crabs in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, inhabiting deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are generalist scavengers and predators of small animals. The name "ghost crab" derives from their nocturnality and their generally pale coloration.[1][2] They are also sometimes called sand crabs, though the name refers to various other crabs that do not belong to the subfamily.
Ghost crabs | |
---|---|
Horned ghost crab (Ocypode ceratophthalma) in Krabi, Thailand | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Brachyura |
Family: | Ocypodidae |
Subfamily: | Ocypodinae Rafinesque, 1815 |
Type genus | |
Ocypode Weber, 1795 | |
Genera | |
|
Characteristics of the subfamily include one claw being larger than the other, thick and elongated eyestalks, and a box-like body. The differences in claw sizes, however, are not as marked as in male fiddler crabs. The subfamily includes 22 species in two genera.