Fiddler Crabs

 

Fiddler Crabs

Fiddler crabs are most recognizable because the males have a large claw on one side and a small claw on the other side. The female fiddler crab has two claws that are the same size.

We found a huge abundance of fiddler crabs when we kayaked into an estuary. We learned how they eat, which is by sifting detritus (decaying organic matter) out of dirt and then forming the unused items into a ball and discarding them. Many experts believe that fiddler crabs play an important role in the preservation of wetland because their sifting through the sands aerates the substrate and prevents anaerobic conditions.

 

April Pardee