Description

Also known as Beach Runner Crab, Brachyura Crab, Fiddler Crab, Ghost Crab, Light Blue Soldier Crab, Military Crab, Soldier Crab, True Crab.

Found often in their thousands, moving at great speed on sandy beaches, mud and mangrove areas of shorelines, dashing for their holes in the sand when threatened. These crabs leave a beautiful pattern of tiny hard pellets all over the beach!
They feed on detritus.
Length - 2.5cm
Depth - 0-6m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

These crabs build "hummocks" (little pellets of sand) around their holes before they surface from the sand at low tide. They often emerge in their thousands falling onto their backs to remove sand and then flipping back!
They then organise themselves into armies and walk forwards (unlike other crabs that walk sideways) in a straight line to the water to feed. This is done by scooping up sand and sifting out the food and then dropping off the excess as round pellets.
After feeding they then dig themselves back into the sand in a corkscrew motion to await the next tide.

Brachyura crabs are considered true crabs, they have a short abdomen, four walking legs and a pair of clawed arms at the front.
Many thousands of species live worldwide in sea water, fresh water and on land. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mictyris_longicarpus