Emory Meyer
English / Science
November 19, 2015
The Ghost Crab
Ocypode quadrata
Ocypode quadrata more commonly known as the Ghost crab is found on coastal beaches in the US and in Brazil. They are sand colored crustaceans that have a distinct pair of white claws and have a square shaped carapace (shell). An interesting fact about this organism is that its eyestalks can rotate 360 degrees. Their prey includes: insects, detritus, and the eggs and hatchlings of some sea turtles. Their predators include: raccoons, shorebirds, and gulls. They are heterotrophic, meaning they get energy from other organisms by eating autotrophs or other heterotrophs, they have bilateral symmetry, and they are ectothermic, meaning they are cold-blooded. Three interesting adaptations that they have include: one structural: They are almost transparent so they are less visible to predators. Two behavioral: they look for food at night and they hide in burrows during the day to stay cool.
Domain: Eukareyote
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Ocypodidae
Genus: Ocypode
Species: quadrata
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