#fiddlercraboftheweek — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #fiddlercraboftheweek, aggregated by home.social.
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Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Polished Fiddler Crab, Tubuca polita, found on the northern coast of Australia from Brisbane to NW Western Australia.
It is a medium-sized #FiddlerCrab, reaching more than 2cm wide, with a salmon-red claw with pale pink fingers, and a marbled carapace of black, white, and aqua. This color combination is reasonably distinct within its range.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_polita.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739174-Tubuca-polita -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Pacific Hairback Fiddler Crab, Minuca ecuadoriensis, found on the Pacific coast of the Americas from Mexico to northern Peru.
It is a medium, broad-front #FiddlerCrab, reaching almost 3cm in width. It can be a very variable looking species (more below), but the easy form to identify it is an almost solid dark red with white finger tips.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_ecuadoriensis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739144-Minuca-ecuadoriensis -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Capricorn Fiddler Crab, Tubuca capricornis, found only on the northern coast of Australia.
It is a medium #FiddlerCrab with a carapace reaching almost 3cm wide, usually recognizable by the striking blue and black legs and mostly black carapace with pale blue spots, frequently with a yellow patch in the front.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_capricornis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739134-Tubuca-capricornis -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Bengal Fiddler Crab, Austruca bengali, found on the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal from southern Myanmar through Western Thailand.
A small #FiddlerCrab around 1cm wide, it is easy to identify within its range as a broad-front species with pointy "corners" at the front of the carapace, usually a mix of blue & black stripes, sometimes white/black or solid white or yellow, with a yellow-orange large claw.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_bengali.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/905594-Austruca-bengali -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is Minuca panema, found along the Atlantic coast of South America from Venezuela through Brazil.
A medium #FiddlerCrab about 2cm wide, this species was only formally (re)recognized a few months ago. It's a broad-front species with a two-tone carapace, pale grey in the front with a muted purple/red toward the back. The large claw tends to be a pale yellow/orange with whiter finger.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_panema.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1505606-Minuca-panema -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Ornate Fiddler Crab, Uca ornata, found along the Pacific coast of the Americas from El Salvador to Northern Peru.
It is a very large #FiddlerCrab, with a carapace reaching >5mm wide. It has a narrow-front and a very distinctive broad-fingered claw. It may be hard to distinguish from U. insignis, as there are no good comparative color descriptions of the two species, but is otherwise distinct in its range.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_ornata.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/67545-Uca-ornata -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Ring-legged Fiddler Crab, Austruca annulipes, found from India through the Philippines and Indonesia, and one of the more common species in its range.
It is a small #FiddlerCrab, 1.5-2cm wide, with a broad front, black and white carapace and orange-red and white claw. It's generally recognizable throughout its range, although can be confused with a number of similar species in certain regions.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_annulipes.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555953-Austruca-annulipes -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Dancing Fiddler Crab, Leptuca terpsichores, found along the Pacific coast of the Americas from Guatemala to Ecuador.
It is a small #FiddlerCrab with a carapace about 1cm wide, usually distinct and easy to identify. When males come out of their burrows they are generally brown-red, but within 15 minutes or so their color shifts to almost entirely white, except for some pink/purple on the base of the large claw.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_terpsichores.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555991-Leptuca-terpsichores -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Lesser Mexican Fiddler Crab, Minuca zacae, found along the Pacific coast of the Americas from the southern Gulf of California to perhaps as far south as Colombia.
It is a small #FiddlerCrab, only about 1-1.25 cm wide, with a thick-handed claw with relatively short fingers. It is described as having a dark carapace with gold and black marbling, a red-brown to orange-pink claw, with white fingers.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_zacae.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/556005-Minuca-zacae -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Banana Fiddler Crab, Austruca mjoebergi, found primarily in Australia's Western Australia and Northern Territory, with rare occurrences in southern Indonesia.
A small #FiddlerCrab about 1-1.5 cm wide, within its range in Australia it is the only broad-front fiddler crab and has a distinctive bright yellow claw, frequently with red legs. In Indonesia it might be confused with a similar species, Austruca perplexa.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_mjoebergi.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555983-Austruca-mjobergi -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Rose Fiddler Crab, Tubuca rosea, found from NE India and Bangladesh to western Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore.
A medium #fiddlercrab 2-3 cm in width, it is generally distinguishable by the rose-pink coloration of its limbs and claw (with paler fingers), with a somewhat translucent carapace that ranges from rose-pink to blue.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_rosea.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739177-Tubuca-rosea -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Mexican Fiddler Crab, Leptuca crenulata, found along the Pacific coast of Mexico and southern California.
A small #FiddlerCrab about 1-1.5 cm in width, it has a typical fiddler shape and structure with dull colors, often identified most readily by "not any of the others".
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_crenulata.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555971-Leptuca-crenulata -
Our #FiddlerCrabOfTheWeek is the Western Calling Fiddler Crab, Gelasimus hesperiae, found in the Indian Ocean from South Africa through western Thailand.
A medium #FiddlerCrab about 2.5 cm wide, it is distinct in most of its range, with a narrow front and a distinctly shaped two-toned claw. In the eastern edge of its range, it might overlap with another similar species, although their distributions are a bit vague as they are readily confused.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_hesperiae.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739154-Gelasimus-hesperiae -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Bowed Fiddler Crab, Tubuca arcuata, found in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
A large #fiddlercrab reaching 3.5 cm in width, it is one of the more common and best known fiddlers in its range. It is generally a mix of red, black, and white, usually with 1-2 distinct thick black stripes across the carapace. The large claw is robust and generally strongly curved. Juveniles may be pale blue.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_arcuata.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555975-Tubuca-arcuata -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Northern Calling Fiddler Crab, Gelasimus borealis, found in Vietnam, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
A medium #fiddlercrab between 2-3 cm in breadth, it is very similar in appearance to two closely related species whom it overlaps with in part of its range. It is duller in color than G. vocans and has a thinner dactyl than G. jocelynae. It is very distinct from other fiddlers in its range.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_borealis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739131-Gelasimus-borealis -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is Beebe's Fiddler Crab, Leptuca beebei, found along the Pacific coast of the Americas from El Salvador to Peru.
A small #fiddlercrab around 1 cm wide, it is one of the more common fiddlers in its range. It has a dull green/blue carapace a burgundy patch on the lower claw, and a classic come-hither wave. Without color or behavior it is very similar looking to half-a-dozen other species in its range.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_beebei.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/556004-Leptuca-beebei -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is Alcock's Fiddler Crab, Tubuca alcocki, found in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with a few odd reports from other parts of the region.
A large #fiddlercrab reaching up to 3cm in breadth, it is easy to identify within its range as a narrow-front species with a dull blue carapace and standard shaped claw. Historically it has been confused with 5-6 other species, none of which are now thought to be found in its range.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_alcocki.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739661-Tubuca-alcocki -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Flame-backed Fiddler Crab, Tubuca flammula, found along the northern coast of Australia, with some rare reports from western New Guinea.
A large #fiddlercrab reaching >3 cm breadth, it is a striking and easily recognizable species, with a predominantly black carapace with bright red along the front edge, a pair of red vertical stripes, and red across limbs and claw.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_flammula.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739148-Tubuca-flammula -
Out #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Thick-legged Fiddler Crab, Paraleptuca crassipes, found across the western and central Pacific, the 2nd largest range of any #fiddlercrab
P. crassipes is extremely variable in color, ranging from black & blue to solid red, has a red claw w/pink fingers and yellow eyestalks. Despite the variability it's the only broad-front in it's range with these colors. P. splendida is similar, but has distinctive red eyestalks.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_crassipes.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555982-Paraleptuca-crassipes -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Eastern Calling Fiddler Crab, Gelasimus excisa, found in a cluster of central Pacific island nations: Fiji, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Tonga, and Tuvulu.
It is a medium-sized #fiddlercrab, around 2 cm in breadth, usually with predominantly orange and white/pink coloration. It is easy to identify within its region by color and claw shape, although is very similar in appearance to more western Pacific species.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_excisa.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739146-Gelasimus-excisa -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Taiwanese Fiddler Crab, Xeruca formosensis, endemic to Taiwan and neighboring small islands.
It is a large #fiddlercrab, with a carapace 2-3.5 cm wide. It is usually easy to identify, generally having a mostly black carapace and distinct white, flat, and smooth fingers on the large claw.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_formosensis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739150-Xeruca-formosensis -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Triangular Fiddler Crab, Austruca triangularis, found throughout the islands of the western Pacific and eastern Australia.
At only about 1 cm wide, it is frequently the smallest #fiddlercrab in it's region. Males are distinctive due to the spotted pattern on the large claw. The carapace is frequently spotted as well, although it can be striped or even solid; colors are generally brown, white, and cream.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_triangularis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739190-Austruca-triangularis -
Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Perplexing Fiddler Crab, Austruca perplexa, found across the islands of the western Pacific as well as on the east coast of Australia.
A small #fiddlercrab, 1-2 cm wide, it is identifiable through the breadth of the front, the yellow (usually) or white color of the large claw, and the pattern of colors on the carapace. ID can be tough in areas where it overlaps with sibling species, particularly A. lactea.
https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_perplexa.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1108898-Austruca-perplexa