Facts About Atlantic Marsh Fiddler (Uca pugnax)

The male Atlantic marsh fiddler crab has an enormous front claw, or "fiddle." When moved, the claw resembles the movements of a person playing the fiddle. The fiddle claw may be either his right claw or his left. He waves this claw in certain patterns when he fights other males and when he tries to attract a female. When the crab runs, he holds the big claw in a threatening manner. Both males and females run sideways.

Atlantic marsh fiddlers live on muddy beaches in the United States. They live in areas alternately covered and exposed by the tides. Each crab makes its own burrow in the mud. It stays in the burrow at high tide. It comes out to look for food at low tide. How does it eat? It scoops up mud and uses its mouth to separate out bits of seaweed and other food particles. It rolls these particles into little pellets. The crab may then carry the pellets into its burrow before eating them.

During courtship the males often make peculiar sounds. One sound is made by rapping the large claw against the ground. Another sound is made by rubbing rough areas of the legs together. After the crabs mate, the eggs are attached to appendages on the female's abdomen. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that do not look like crabs. The larvae pass through a number of stages. They grow larger and develop the legs and other features of adults.

Length: ^1/2 inch
Width: 1^1/2 inches
Diet: small organic matter
Method of Reproduction: egg layer
Home: Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States

Posted in Animals, Atlantic Marsh Fiddler