Atlantic Ghost Crab. Florida Coastal Naturalist project

1. by Michael O'Shea

2. Taxonomic Classification
• Kingdom -Animalia ( animals )
• Phylum - Arthropoda ( insects, crustaceans )
• Class - Malacostraca ( crustaceans )
• Order - Decapoda ( shrimp , lobster , crab)
• Family - Ocypodidae ( fiddler crab, ghost crab )
• Genus - Ocypode ( ghost crabs)
• Species - Ocypode quadrata

6. Gray in color with speckles

10. Comunication
• bubbling sounds from mouth
• hitting ground with claw
• rub legs together

13. 2. Sight
• tall eyestalks
- can see 360 degrees around
- makes it hard to sneak up on

16. Hocus
Pocus !

17. • semi enclosed body of water
• freshwater rivers flow into it
• has connection to ocean
• brackish water
• hills made of sand
• caused by wind and water

19. Sand is piled neatly Sand is scattered

24. Reproduction
• sexual maturity at 1 year old
• males fight to court female
( mostly ritualistic )
• mating occurs in males burrow
• females must keep eggs wet
• larvae spend 4-6 weeks in ocean

29. • food for other wildlife
• indicators of a healthy beach

30. Ways of helping indirectly

31. Ways of helping Directly

34. • Ghost Crab : Hungry Nocturnal Ghosties by Patricia B. Mitchell
(www .mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/0057)
• Atlantic Ghost Crab Ocypode Quadrata by David Knott
(w ww.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Ghostcrab.pdf)
• Atlantic Ghost Crab Chesapeake Bay Program
(w wwchesapeakbay.net/fieldguide/critter/atlantic_ghost_crab)
Illustrations :
the globe - " Free Stock photos "
(w ww.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/4684)
lifescycle of crab - " Black Sea "
( blacksea-education.rv/zooplankton.shtml )
male female difference in crab - " Jetty Fishery "
( w ww.jettyfishery.com/things-to-do/crabbing/ )