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Atlantic ghost crab

January 01, 1970

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;[2] its range of distribution extends from its northernmost reach on beaches in Westport, Massachusetts, south along the coasts of the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean to the beach of Barra do Chui, in Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.[3]

Atlantic ghost crab
Adult O. quadrata by a burrow entrance
Juvenile O. quadrata
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Ocypodidae
Genus: Ocypode
Species:
O. quadrata
Binomial name
Ocypode quadrata
(Fabricius, 1787) [1]
Synonyms
  • Cancer Fabricius, 1787
  • Ocypode albicans Bosc, 1802
  • Monolepis inermis Say, 1817
  • Ocypode arenarius Say, 1817

Description edit

Adults are greyish or the color of straw, and around 5 cm (2.0 in) wide at maturity.[4] They must return to water periodically to moisten their gills, and when larvae must be released into the sea, but are otherwise terrestrial.[4] Their stalked compound eyes can swivel to give them 360° vision.[2] Young crabs are cryptically colored to blend in with their sandy habitats.[2]

Distribution edit

Atlantic ghost crabs are found from Santa Catarina north to Massachusetts, USA. They have been recorded in Block Island, Rhode Island, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Delaware beaches, northern Virginia beaches, the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Santa Catarina, Brazil, on Fernando de Noronha, and Bermuda. Its planktonic larvae have been documented in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, although the adults have not been recorded at this location. [4]

Fossil record edit

Fossil specimens of O. quadrata have been found in rocks dating from the Pleistocene.[5]

Ecology edit

 
Atlantic ghost crab of Cape Henlopen State Park near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in 2020

The Atlantic ghost crab lives in burrows in sand above the strandline.[2] Older individuals dig their burrows farther from the sea, some starting as much as 400 m (1,300 ft) inland.[4] Burrows can be up to 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) deep, and can be closed off with sand during hot periods.[4]

This crab can produce a variety of sounds by striking the ground with the claw, by stridulation with the legs, and an incompletely explained "bubbling sound".[6] Males compete in a heavily ritualised manner which prevents the need for physical contact.[6][further explanation needed]

Ghost crabs are arguably the fastest terrestrial invertebrates, capable of running at more than a meter per second.[7]

O. quadrata is more active at night than in the day, and is an omnivore,[2] eating clams (such as conquina clams and Donax spp.),[8] mole crabs (including Emerita talpoida),[9][8] insects, plant material, detritus, and even other crabs.[6] They also feed on the eggs and hatchlings of sea turtles, such as the loggerhead sea turtle.[9][8]

Sandy beaches, a habitat frequented by ghost crabs, have had a decrease in the abundance of ghost crabs due to human behavior.[10] Ghost crabs are negatively impacted by human and vehicle trampling, which results in direct crushing of crabs, as well as indirect damage such as compression of sediment which reduces habitat suitability, interference with reproductive behaviors, reduction in food supply, and light pollution.[11] Consequently, it is less common on beaches frequented by people.

Self-awareness edit

A 2023 study using the well known mirror test found that these crabs seem to be capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror. The study's author concluded that the data indicate that the crabs have "a rudimentary form of self-awareness".[12]

References edit

  1. ^ Sammy De Grave; N. Dean Pentcheff; Shane T. Ahyong; et al. (2009). (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl. 21: 1–109. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jeffrey S. Pippen (November 12, 2005). . Jeffrey S. Pippen. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Adilson Fransozo, Maria Lucia Negreiros-Fransozo & Giovana Bertini (2002). "Morphometric studies of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) from Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil". In E. Escobar-Briones; F. Álvarez (eds.). Modern Approaches to the Study of Crustacea. New York: Kluwer/Plenum. pp. 189–195. ISBN 0-306-47366-6.
  4. ^ a b c d e David Knott. (PDF). South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  5. ^ Roger W. Portell, Richard L. Turner & John L. Beerensson (2003). "Occurrence of the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata from the Upper Pleistocene to Holocene Anastasia Formation of Florida". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 23 (3): 712–722. doi:10.1651/C-2340.
  6. ^ a b c Jeffrey Shields (1998). . Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  7. ^ •Whittemore, S. B., Hoglin, B., Green, M. A., & Medler, S. (2015). Stride frequency in relation to allometric growth in ghost crabs. Journal of Zoology, 296(4), 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12244
  8. ^ a b c Izzo, Lisa; Kothari, Nikhita. "Ocypode quadrata (Atlantic ghost crab)". Animaldiversity.org. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Ocypode quadrata (Atlantic Ghost Crab)" (PDF). Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  10. ^ Thomas A. Schlacher, Luke Thompson & Sam Price (2007). "Vehicle versus conservation of invertebrates on sandy beaches: mortalities inflicted by offroad vehicles on ghost crabs". Marine Ecology. 28 (3): 354–367. Bibcode:2007MarEc..28..354S. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2007.00156.x.
  11. ^ Graziani de Freitas Antunes, Ana Paula Nunes do Amaral; Fabiana Pinto Ribarcki, Elenir de Fátima Wiilland; Denise Maria Zancan, Anapaula Sommer Vinagre (2010). "Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition and reproductive cycle of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) in Southern Brazil". Journal of Experimental Zoology. 313A (5): 280–291. Bibcode:2010JEZA..313..280A. doi:10.1002/jez.593. PMID 20127661.
  12. ^ Robinson, T. (14 June 2023). "Mirror self-recognition in ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata)". Animal Cognition. 26 (5): 1539–1549. doi:10.1007/s10071-023-01800-2. PMID 37314594. Retrieved 25 November 2023.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Ocypode quadrata at Wikimedia Commons

January 01, 1970
atlantic, ghost, crab, ocypode, quadrata, species, ghost, crab, common, species, along, atlantic, coast, united, states, where, only, species, ghost, crab, range, distribution, extends, from, northernmost, reach, beaches, westport, massachusetts, south, along,. 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 2 its range of distribution extends from its northernmost reach on beaches in Westport Massachusetts south along the coasts of the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean to the beach of Barra do Chui in Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil 3 Atlantic ghost crab Adult O quadrata by a burrow entrance Juvenile O quadrata Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Malacostraca Order Decapoda Suborder Pleocyemata Infraorder Brachyura Family Ocypodidae Genus Ocypode Species O quadrata Binomial name Ocypode quadrata Fabricius 1787 1 Synonyms Cancer Fabricius 1787 Ocypode albicans Bosc 1802 Monolepis inermis Say 1817 Ocypode arenarius Say 1817 Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Fossil record 4 Ecology 5 Self awareness 6 References 7 External linksDescription editAdults are greyish or the color of straw and around 5 cm 2 0 in wide at maturity 4 They must return to water periodically to moisten their gills and when larvae must be released into the sea but are otherwise terrestrial 4 Their stalked compound eyes can swivel to give them 360 vision 2 Young crabs are cryptically colored to blend in with their sandy habitats 2 Distribution editAtlantic ghost crabs are found from Santa Catarina north to Massachusetts USA They have been recorded in Block Island Rhode Island Nantucket Massachusetts Martha s Vineyard Massachusetts Delaware beaches northern Virginia beaches the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Santa Catarina Brazil on Fernando de Noronha and Bermuda Its planktonic larvae have been documented in Woods Hole Massachusetts although the adults have not been recorded at this location 4 Fossil record editFossil specimens of O quadrata have been found in rocks dating from the Pleistocene 5 Ecology edit nbsp Atlantic ghost crab of Cape Henlopen State Park near Rehoboth Beach Delaware in 2020 The Atlantic ghost crab lives in burrows in sand above the strandline 2 Older individuals dig their burrows farther from the sea some starting as much as 400 m 1 300 ft inland 4 Burrows can be up to 1 3 m 4 ft 3 in deep and can be closed off with sand during hot periods 4 This crab can produce a variety of sounds by striking the ground with the claw by stridulation with the legs and an incompletely explained bubbling sound 6 Males compete in a heavily ritualised manner which prevents the need for physical contact 6 further explanation needed Ghost crabs are arguably the fastest terrestrial invertebrates capable of running at more than a meter per second 7 O quadrata is more active at night than in the day and is an omnivore 2 eating clams such as conquina clams and Donax spp 8 mole crabs including Emerita talpoida 9 8 insects plant material detritus and even other crabs 6 They also feed on the eggs and hatchlings of sea turtles such as the loggerhead sea turtle 9 8 Sandy beaches a habitat frequented by ghost crabs have had a decrease in the abundance of ghost crabs due to human behavior 10 Ghost crabs are negatively impacted by human and vehicle trampling which results in direct crushing of crabs as well as indirect damage such as compression of sediment which reduces habitat suitability interference with reproductive behaviors reduction in food supply and light pollution 11 Consequently it is less common on beaches frequented by people Self awareness editA 2023 study using the well known mirror test found that these crabs seem to be capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror The study s author concluded that the data indicate that the crabs have a rudimentary form of self awareness 12 References edit Sammy De Grave N Dean Pentcheff Shane T Ahyong et al 2009 A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans PDF Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Suppl 21 1 109 Archived from the original PDF on 2011 06 06 Retrieved 2010 01 02 a b c d e Jeffrey S Pippen November 12 2005 Ghost crab Ocypode quadrata Jeffrey S Pippen Archived from the original on November 2 2013 Retrieved June 10 2013 Adilson Fransozo Maria Lucia Negreiros Fransozo amp Giovana Bertini 2002 Morphometric studies of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata Fabricius 1787 Decapoda Ocypodidae from Ubatuba Sao Paulo Brazil In E Escobar Briones F Alvarez eds Modern Approaches to the Study of Crustacea New York Kluwer Plenum pp 189 195 ISBN 0 306 47366 6 a b c d e David Knott Atlantic Ghost Crab Ocypode quadrata PDF South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Archived from the original PDF on October 31 2020 Retrieved January 2 2009 Roger W Portell Richard L Turner amp John L Beerensson 2003 Occurrence of the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata from the Upper Pleistocene to Holocene Anastasia Formation of Florida Journal of Crustacean Biology 23 3 712 722 doi 10 1651 C 2340 a b c Jeffrey Shields 1998 The ghost crab Ocypode quadrata Virginia Institute of Marine Science Archived from the original on January 4 2010 Retrieved January 2 2010 Whittemore S B Hoglin B Green M A amp Medler S 2015 Stride frequency in relation to allometric growth in ghost crabs Journal of Zoology 296 4 286 294 https doi org 10 1111 jzo 12244 a b c Izzo Lisa Kothari Nikhita Ocypode quadrata Atlantic ghost crab Animaldiversity org Retrieved 16 March 2022 a b Ocypode quadrata Atlantic Ghost Crab PDF Sta uwi edu Retrieved 16 March 2022 Thomas A Schlacher Luke Thompson amp Sam Price 2007 Vehicle versus conservation of invertebrates on sandy beaches mortalities inflicted by offroad vehicles on ghost crabs Marine Ecology 28 3 354 367 Bibcode 2007MarEc 28 354S doi 10 1111 j 1439 0485 2007 00156 x Graziani de Freitas Antunes Ana Paula Nunes do Amaral Fabiana Pinto Ribarcki Elenir de Fatima Wiilland Denise Maria Zancan Anapaula Sommer Vinagre 2010 Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition and reproductive cycle of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata Fabricius 1787 in Southern Brazil Journal of Experimental Zoology 313A 5 280 291 Bibcode 2010JEZA 313 280A doi 10 1002 jez 593 PMID 20127661 Robinson T 14 June 2023 Mirror self recognition in ghost crab Ocypode quadrata Animal Cognition 26 5 1539 1549 doi 10 1007 s10071 023 01800 2 PMID 37314594 Retrieved 25 November 2023 External links edit nbsp Crustaceans portal nbsp Media related to Ocypode quadrata at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Atlantic ghost crab amp oldid 1218561068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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