Tid Mud Crabs Research Paper

Crabs are a type of crustacean that occur within mangrove ecosystems and can be found from high tide through to low tide levels. Crabs shelter underneath logs and in cool places to avoid drying out and many create burrows for refuge from larger prey, it can also be the site of mating and incubation. Other crabs use burrows to store their food as the water tide rises or lowers. Red fingered marsh crabs and fiddler crabs are commonly active at low tides where they are often out looking for food, fighting, or cleaning up around their burrows (Biology-assets.anu.edu.au, 2016). These species can also withstand living out of the water at months at a time for the reason of their primitive ling. At high tides, both species of crabs gather back into their burrows and clog up the entrance with a ball of mud to form an air pocket as the …show more content…
Mud crabs are more active at high tides where they’re able to go out to feed on plants, snails, worms, molluscs and other small crabs (Hollowayseec.eq.edu.au, 2016). They also feed on some fish species that live in mangroves which can be a great feeding region. During low tides, mud crabs often hide in the mangroves for protection from larger prey. Their dark colour also protects them as they can blend into the mud and hide. Burrows are used by the majority of male crabs rather than female crabs. However it remains unknown for the use of burrows, since mud crabs do not return to the same home. These crabs also prefer a more open environment for a better feeding ground (this can be found closer to the low water mark) (Alberts-Hubatsch et al., 2015). Soldier crabs occur in large groups that can sometimes emerge from nowhere at the same time. They live in sandy estuarine beaches and mangroves when the tide reaches a low level. These crabs can be detected by their unique corkscrew burrow on the muddy bed (Keith-davey.com,