Ash Fiddler
Basic Information
Anatomy
A small bodied crab with a rounded square shell. Their right claws are larger than the left, and the size difference is significantly larger in male crabs. These tiny crustaceans have a tough, dark shell they shed every time they grow.
Genetics and Reproduction
Male Ash Fiddlers put on displays for females, strategically placing their burrows in-between females' burrows and on higher ground. Often, males will build a small mound outside their burrow to display from, dancing by swaying back and forth and waving their bright red large claws above them. Females prefer the brightest males with the largest claws, rejecting and even chasing small clawed males away.
After mating, females retreat to their burrows and will lay clutches of 70 to 140 eggs they guard fiercely from other crabs, who are prone to eating them. Occasionally, males may invade females' burrows and consume their eggs. Once hatched, there is no parental care, and hatchling crabs are at risk of being eaten by their parents, so they quickly make their way out of the burrows and into the ocean where they will grow for the next year, being distributed by the tides.
Ecology and Habitats
The Ash Fiddler is a crab best suited to volcanic regions, making their burrows in volcanic sand beaches. They are most commonly found in the Pacific around the ring of fire.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Like most crabs, they are omnivores, feasting on whatever is available from plankton, plant matter, small fish, mollusks, to even other crabs.
Additional Information
Social Structure
These crabs do not particularly have a social structure beyond safety in numbers. They will form burrows near other crabs, but do not share and quickly chase off competitors. Males in particular are quite aggressive to one another and prone to chasing each other up and down the beaches until they tire, where well fit crabs are often picked off by predators such as the Painted Gull.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
In some regions, the crabs are sold as pets despite their legal protection and prohibit of trade. As they only reproduce in the wild, this has further impact on their threatened status and poses risk of teetering the species into endangerment.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Although their range is spread across the Pacific Ocean, their population has greatly diminished due to tourism and pollution. Ash Fiddlers are only found on volcanic beaches, which often garner large crowds of people during eruptions.
Lifespan
5-10 years (wild) 10-20 years (captivity)
Conservation Status
Threatened
Average Length
2-4 inches
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Black, dark blue, and rarely, purple. Males have bright red claws.
Geographic Distribution
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