Soldier Crab

Description:

Small, round, blue body on long jointed legs with purple stripes. As it marches around feeding, it moulds the sand into numerous pellets, sorting through it for organic matter.

Habitat:

Sandy estuaries and mangroves, and occurs in massive groups that seem to emerge from nowhere all at the same time.

Notes:

It is thought that the spontaneous arrival of Soldier Crabs is triggered by the falling tide. If disturbed, they burrow into the sand with a corkscrew motion, disappearing as quickly as they arrived.