Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Submitted Successfully!
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic. For video creation, please contact our Academic Video Service.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1 handwiki Sirius Huang -- 1135 2022-11-24 01:42:35

Video Upload Options

We provide professional Academic Video Service to translate complex research into visually appealing presentations. Would you like to try it?
No, upload directly Yes
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
HandWiki. Fiddler Crab. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36271 (accessed on 23 September 2026).
HandWiki. Fiddler Crab. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36271. Accessed September 23, 2026.
HandWiki. "Fiddler Crab" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36271 (accessed September 23, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 24). Fiddler Crab. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36271
HandWiki. "Fiddler Crab." Encyclopedia. Web. 24 November, 2022.
Fiddler Crab
Edit
The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Fiddler_crab

A fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca. As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed of small crabs – the largest being slightly over two inches (5 cm) across. Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish inter-tidal mud flats, lagoons and swamps. Fiddler crabs are most well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males’ major claw is much larger than the minor claw while the females’ claws are both the same size. Like all crabs, fiddler crabs shed their shells as they grow. If they have lost legs or claws during their present growth cycle, a new one will be present when they molt. If the large fiddle claw is lost, males will develop one on the opposite side after their next molt. Newly molted crabs are very vulnerable because of their soft shells. They are reclusive and hide until the new shell hardens. Fiddler crabs exhibit a constant circadian rhythm in a controlled laboratory setting that mimics the ebb and flow of the tides. The crabs turn dark in the day and light in the dark.

circadian rhythm laboratory ebb and flow

References

  1. M. J. How; J. M. Hemmi; J. Zeil; R. Peters (2008). "Claw waving display changes with receiver distance in fiddler crabs, Uca perplexa". Animal Behaviour 75 (3): 1015–1022. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.09.004. http://richard.eriophora.com.au/pubs/pdf/HowHemmiZeilPeters-07.pdf. 
  2. Pope, D. S., 2000, Testing function of fiddler crab claw waving by manipulating social context: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, v. 47, p. 432-437.
  3. Perez, D. M., Rosenberg, M. S., and Pie, M. R., 2012, The evolution of waving displays in fiddler crabs (Uca spp., Crustacea: Ocypodidae): Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 106, p. 307-315.
  4. Reaney, L. T., and Backwell, P. R. Y., 2007, Temporal constraints and female preference for burrow width in the fiddler crab, Uca mjoebergi: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, v. 61, p. 1515-1521.
  5. Matsumasa, M., Murai, M., and Christy, J. H., 2013, A low-cost sexual ornament reliably signals male condition in the fiddler crab Uca beebei: Animal Behaviour, v. 85, p. 1335-1341.
  6. Callander, S., Kahn, A. T., Maricic, T., Jennions, M. D., and Backwell, P. R. Y., 2013, Weapons or mating signals? Claw shape and mate choice in a fiddler crab: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, v. 67, p. 1163-1167.
  7. British Ecological Society (November 13, 2008). "Fiddler crabs reveal honesty is not always the best policy". University of New South Wales. http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/fiddler-crabs-reveal-honesty-is-not-always-the-best-policy/. Retrieved November 19, 2008. 
  8. Simon P. Lailvaux; Leeann T. Reaney; Patricia R. Y. Backwell (November 11, 2008). "Regenerated claws dishonestly signal performance and fighting ability in the fiddler crab Uca mjoebergi". Functional Ecology 23 (2): 359. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01501.x. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121511634/HTMLSTART. Retrieved November 18, 2008. 
  9. Swanson, B. O., George, M. N., Anderson, S. P., and Christy, J. H., 2013, Evolutionary variation in the mechanics of fiddler crab claws: Bmc Evolutionary Biology, v. 13.
  10. Peter K. L. Ng; Danièle Guinot; Peter J. F. Davie (2008). "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. An annotated checklist of extant Brachyuran crabs of the world". Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 17: 1–286. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606061453/http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/s17/s17rbz.pdf. 
  11. Hsi-Te Shih; Tohru Naruse; Peter K. L. Ng (2010). "Uca jocelynae sp. nov., a new species of fiddler crab (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from the Western Pacific". Zootaxa 2337: 47–62. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2337.1.4. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02337p062f.pdf. 
  12. "Tubuca alcocki, a new pseudocryptic species of fiddler crab from the Indian Ocean, sister to the southeastern African T. urvillei (H. Milne Edwards, 1852)". Zookeys. https://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=23468. Retrieved 3 April 2018. 
  13. Lianne McLeod. "How to Set Up a Tank for Fiddler Crabs". About.com. http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rarespecies/a/fiddlercrabs.htm. Retrieved January 13, 2010. 
More
©Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons-Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Marine & Freshwater Biology
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
HandWiki
View Times: 2.6K
Entry Collection: HandWiki
Revision: 1 time (View History)
Update Date: 24 Nov 2022
Table of Contents
    Notice
    You are not a member of the advisory board for this topic. If you want to update advisory board member profile, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub.
    OK
    Confirm
    Only members of the Encyclopedia advisory board for this topic are allowed to note entries. Would you like to become an advisory board member of the Encyclopedia?
    Yes
    No
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    There is no comment~
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    ${ selectedItem.replyTextCharacter }/${ selectedItem.replyMaxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    Confirm
    Are you sure to Delete?
    Yes No
    Academic Video Service
    Feedback