When low tide exposes a beach, crabs emerge from their burrows beneath the sand. They begin feeding by collecting sand and quickly sifting it in search of microscopic food (detritus) between each grain, inadvertently cleaning the sand. When the sand is stripped of any nutrition, the crab gathers it into a sphere (or "sand bubble") and tosses it behind its legs.
Sand bubbler crabs are common on the sandy shores of Chek Jawa. They are not found on the sand bar. They are almost the same colour as sand, and as round as the sand balls they create. They bolt into their burrows at the slightest sign of danger. To observe them, stay still and avoid casting a shadow over them. Then look out for a moving ball of sand!
Sand patterns: Sand bubbler crabs are responsible for the delicate patterns of tiny balls on the sandy shores of Chek Jawa at low tide. They emerge as soon as the tide recedes. You can almost tell how long the tide has been out by the patterns of their sand balls. The more intricate the pattern of sand balls, the longer the tide has been out.
Sand bubbler parts: Sand bubbler crabs have eyes are on stalks that poke out of their round bodies. Their long pincers point downwards to scoop up sand into their mouths. The males may have larger pincers. Sand bubbler crabs have stiff hairs on their legs which they use to absorb water from the wet sand.
Sand bubbler Food: Sand bubbler crabs eat the thin coating of detritus on sand grains. They scrape up sand grains with their downward pointing pincers and bring these to their mouthparts that then sift out any tiny food particles. The shifted sand is then discarded in a little ball. As they eat, a little path is scraped out on the sand from the burrow entrance. Little balls of sifted sand is piled up on either side of this path. As a result, there is often a 'path' among the piles of sand grains leading from the burrow entrance.
Role in the ecosystem: Sand bubbler crabs are eaten by many animals higher up in the food chain. Shorebirds, for example, snack on them for sustenance to make their long migratory journeys.
to hide from predators
Yes and camouflage.
crabs are so super coolio
They look like their surroundings aka invisibility
Anemones attach themselves to the hermit crabs, to provide as a source of camouflage from its prey. They depend on hermit crabs to move about and to search for food
Yes because they are muddy-brown colored and blend in with the bottom of the ocean.
Many species of reptile, fish, birds and insects use camouflage but it is most perfect in the chameleon.
the rainforst
yes
hermits crabs are one of the most common scavengers in the ocean.
Zero. Hermit crabs lay eggs.
Hermit crabs are quite calm. Mostly because they are nocturnal.
Hermit crabs are most related to spiders, lobsters and crabs.