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Cangrejo Carretero Rojo (Ghost crab)

Ocypode ceratophthalma

Description:

Most ghost crabs have pale-colored bodies that blend in well with the sand,[3] though they are capable of gradually changing body coloration to match their environments and the time of day. Some species are brightly colored, such as Ocypode gaudichaudii and Ocypode ryderi. Ghost crabs have elongated and swollen eyestalks with very large corneas on the bottom half. Their carapaces are deep and box-like, squarish when viewed from the top with straight or slightly curving sides. The regions of the carapace are usually not clearly defined. The "whip" of their antennules (antennular flagella) are small or rudimentary. They fold back into the body diagonally or almost vertically. The plate between them (the interantennular septum) is broad. The third pair of mouth appendages (maxillipeds) completely cover the mouth opening. A small orifice with edges thickly fringed with hair is found between the bases of the second and third pairs of walking legs

Habitat:

Ghost crabs dig deep burrows near the intertidal zone of open sandy beaches. The burrows are usually composed of a long shaft with a chamber at the end, occasionally with a second entrance shaft. They are semi-terrestrial and breathe oxygen from the air through moistened gills. They must periodically wet their gills with seawater, usually by taking water from moist sand or by running into the surf and letting the waves wash over them. However, they can only remain under water for a limited amount of time, as they will drown.

Notes:

I take this photo in the National Natural Park Ensenada de Utría in Chocó-Colombia

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PajaroSpeed
Spotted by
PajaroSpeed

Chocó, Colombia

Spotted on Jan 2, 2016
Submitted on Jan 2, 2016

Spotted for Mission

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Reference

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