Ghost Crab Animal Facts

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Ghost Crab Last updated: May 27, 2024

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Ghost Crab

Their eyestalks, which are sometimes horned, can swivel 360 degrees

Ghost Crab Scientific Classification

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassMalacostracaOrderDecapodaFamilyOcypodidae

Read our Complete Guide to Classification of Animals.

Ghost Crab Conservation Status

Least Concern

Ghost Crab Locations

Ocean

Ghost Crab Facts

PreyBaby turtles, mole crabs and other small arthropods, mollusks, insectsGroup Behavior

Solitary

Fun FactTheir eyestalks, which are sometimes horned, can swivel 360 degreesEstimated Population SizeHundreds of thousands, at least.Biggest ThreatHabitat destruction, climate change, pollutionMost Distinctive FeatureIts eyestalksOther Name(s)Sand crab, the Fleet-footed One of WhiteDietOmnivoreTypeCrustaceanCommon NameGhost crabNumber Of Species21

Ghost Crab Physical Characteristics

Color

Yellow
Cream
Sandy

Skin TypeShellTop Speed10 mphLifespanThree yearsWeight0.53 – 2.5 ouncesLength2 to 3 inches, males larger than females

Ghost Crab Pictures

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Ghost crabs are one of the most populous crab species in the world and are found on beaches from Oman to Polynesia, Australia, Florida, Egypt, and Greece.

a ghost crab on a beach at isla san cristobal in the galapagos — A ghost crab on a beach at Isla San Cristobal in the Galapagos islands, Ecuador.
©crbellette/iStock via Getty Images

Ghost crabs, also called sand crabs, are known for their boxy shape, sometimes horned eyestalks, and uneven claw size. Although they use eight of their ten legs to walk normally, they only use their first and second pairs of legs when they need to move quickly.

Classification and Scientific Name

Ghost crabs are members of the subfamily Ocypodinae, which is found in the Ocypodidae family. Ocypode comes from Greek and means “swift-footed,” which describes the surprisingly fast way these crabs can scuttle over the sand. There are two genera in this subfamily: Ocypode and Hoplocypode. In the genus Ocypode, there are 20 species, but there’s only one species in Hoplocypode: H. occidentalis.

Species

Besides Hoplocypode occidentalis, the species of this type of crab are:

Ocypode africana
Ocypode brevicornis
Ocypode ceratophthalma
Ocypode convexa
Ocypode cordimanus
Ocypode cursor
Ocypode fabricii
Ocypode gaudichaudii (the painted ghost crab)
Ocypode jousseaumei
Ocypode kuhlii
Ocypode macrocera
Ocypode madagascariensis
Ocypode mortoni
Ocypode pallidula
Ocypode pauliani
Ocypode quadrata
Ocypode rotundata
Ocypode ryderi
Ocypode saratan
Ocypode stimpsoni

Appearance

A low angle close up of a ghost crab on a beach in the foreground.
©iStock.com/Jonathan Mauer

These crabs have a boxy little body, and most species are pale with the exception of species such as O. gaudichaudii, the painted ghost crab. Their name comes not just from their general pallor, but from the fact that they hunt at night.

Two characteristics that identify ghost crabs are that both the males and the females have claws of different sizes. This differentiates them from their cousins the fiddler crabs, where unequal size claws are found only on the males. The claws of most ghost crabs also have ridges that allow the animal to produce sounds that include bubbling, stridulation, and thumping.

Ghost crabs have large and long eyestalks. In some species, the eyestalks are horned or have stiles. They have huge corneas that are found on an eyestalk’s bottom half.

Their walking legs are longer than the claws. This allows them to move quickly and easily over the sandy beaches where they live.

Distribution, Population, and Habitat

Atlantic ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) at the ocean beach, Florida USA — ©Oleg Kovtun Hydrobio/Shutterstock.com

Ghost crabs are found near warmer waters all over the world, like those off the coast of Florida or India. These semi-terrestrial crabs dig burrows in sand and mud found in that zone between the high and low tide on beaches in the oceans or estuaries.

There are 21 species of sand crab. Although their habitat has been disrupted by human activity, their population is fairly healthy. Most sand crabs are found in the Indo-Pacific region, while a handful of species are found in the Mediterranean, the Pacific coast of North America, and along the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts down to Florida and further south to Brazil.

Predators and Prey

Despite their small size, ghost crabs have few predators. One reason is that they can change color to blend in with the surrounding sand.

Other adaptations that evolved for both hunting and avoiding predation are their speed and their nocturnal lifestyle. Still, ghost crabs are taken by shorebirds and raccoons. The crabs themselves prey on leatherback turtle eggs and hatchlings, which is problematic since the leatherback turtle is endangered. They also eat smaller crabs, other marine arthropods, and insects. Besides hunting for food, ghost crabs are scavengers and cache food in their burrows.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Baby ghost crab is molding sand in round shape and digging hole to build its house at the beach. — A baby ghost crab that has survived molting stages to go from sea to sand life and is digging a hole to build its house at the beach.
©Salinthip Matra/Shutterstock.com

Ghost crabs can mate all year, though there are some species where the female ovulates only in early spring and again in summer. They are unlike other crabs of their infraorder in that the female can mate when her shell has hardened after a molt. This is one of the adaptations the crabs made when they became semi-terrestrial.

Males posture and make sounds to both attract females and challenge other males. Usually, the male crabs avoid making contact, but if one does not submit, the stronger one shoves him out of the way.

Fertilization is internal and mating usually happens near the male’s burrow. The sperm comes in a fluid that hardens and forms a plug in the female to make sure her eggs are not fertilized by a rival crab. The female can store sperm for a while, but when the eggs are fertilized, they emerge and stick to her abdomen. Since the eggs look like berries, a female carrying her eggs this way is referred to as berried. The female makes sure the eggs are kept hydrated and may sometimes swim upside down for this purpose.

When the crab larvae hatch, the female shakes them off into the water. They are so tiny at this stage that they become part of the zooplankton and are swept along on the ocean currents; however, their larvae are among the largest of the crab larvae during the final larval, or megalopa stage.

The baby ghost crab has five molts before it reaches the megalopa stage. It stays in that stage for a little over a month. If it survives to molt one more time, it leaves the sea for the land. Ghost crabs are ready to mate when they are about a year old and have a lifespan of about three years.

Population, Fishing, and Cooking

The ghost crab population is healthy as of 2021, though it has decreased due to human activity, climate change, and pollution.

Though ghost crabs are edible, they are considered too small in size to be good eating.

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About the Author

Heather Ross

Heather Ross is a secondary English teacher and mother of 2 humans, 2 tuxedo cats, and a golden doodle. In between taking the kids to soccer practice and grading papers, she enjoys reading and writing about all the animals!

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Ghost Crab FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Where are ghost crabs found?

Ghost crabs are found on tropical and temperate beaches of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

What do ghost crabs eat?

Ghost crabs go hunting for smaller crabs, insects, carrion, clams and other types of mollusks and the eggs and newly hatched babies of sea turtles.

Where do ghost crabs live?

Ghost crabs live in burrows they dig in the sand or the mud on the beach in places as diverse as the coast of Florida, Sri Lanka or Western Australia. They stay in the burrows during the day and hibernate in them during the cold months.

Are ghost crabs endangered?

Ghost crabs are not endangered.

Why are they called ghost crabs?

Ghost crabs are given that name because many species are pale, and they come out at night.

Can ghost crabs hurt you?

Ghost crabs can’t really hurt you, but their claws can deliver a sharp pinch.

Are ghost crabs good eating?

The small size of ghost crabs does not make them good eating, but they are edible.

Can you keep a ghost crab as a pet?

Keeping a ghost crab as a pet would be challenging because the animal needs to burrow and must keep its gills wet. It’s best to leave them in the wild.

Do sea crabs poop?

Yes, sea crabs defecate.

Can you eat ghost crabs in Hawaii?

As ghost crabs are not under protection in Hawaii, it may be possible to eat them if they can be caught. However, they do not have enough meat to make catching them worthwhile for most people.

Sources

Animal Diversity Web / Accessed August 25, 2021
Yesterday's Island / Accessed August 25, 2021
iNaturalist / Accessed August 25, 2021
30A / Accessed August 25, 2021
Wikipedia / Accessed August 25, 2021
Chesapeake Bay Program / Accessed August 25, 2021
Mexico — Fish, Birds, Crabs, Marine Life, Shells and Terrestrial Life / Accessed August 25, 2021