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 Nothern 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 Lemon Fiddler Crab, Austruca citrus, found in the central Pacific islands of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Wallis & Futuna.

A small #fiddlercrab about a cm or so in breadth, it is easily identifiable within its range by the broad front and bright yellow claw. Beyond its range it is very similar to the closely related species, Austruca perplexa, found throughout most of the rest of the western Pacific.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_citrus.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1108897-Austruca-citrus

Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Intermediate Fiddler Crab, Uca intermedia, found along the Pacific coast of Panama and Colombia.

This is a virtually unknown species, only observed a very limited number of times since it's description 40 years ago. It is a narrow-front species and is readily recognizable as it is the only #fiddlercrab in the Americas with an essentially solid black carapace. It's large claw is reddish.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_intermedia.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/67460-Uca-intermedia

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 Bonin Islands Fiddler Crab, Paraleptuca boninensis. It is endemic and restricted to the remote Ogasawara Islands of Japan.

A broad-front species very similar to the widespread Paraleptuca crassipes, it is the only #fiddlercrab found among the islands, making it one of only two fiddler species to be entirely allopatric throughout its range, Afruca tangeri being the other.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_boninensis.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/739130-Paraleptuca-boninensis

Uca maracoani also has the distinction of being the earliest #fiddlercrab known to appear in any form of writing. In 1648, it was illustrated by Marcgrave in Historiæ Rerum Naturalium Brasiliæ. He called it "Maracoani", likely a local name for the crab, which is where the species name is derived from.

Another fiddler crab also illustrated in that work, called Ciecie Ete, is likely Leptuca thayeri. A third called Ciecie Panema is mentioned with minimal description and no illustration.

Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Brazilian Fiddler Crab, Uca maracoani, found along the Atlantic coast of S. American from Venezuela to Brazil.

It is a large #fiddlercrab, >3 cm in width, with an extremely distinctive large claw that makes it easily recognizable within its range (two species on the Pacific coast are similar). It is also identifiable by size, color, and by the fact that it is only 1 of 2 narrow-front species in the Atlantic.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_maracoani.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/67478-Uca-maracoani

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

Fiddler crabs

#FiddlerCrab #Crab #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Photography

Fiddler crabs

#FiddlerCrab #Crab #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Photography

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 Milky Fiddler Crab, Austruca lactea, found primarily in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

Around 1.5-2 cm wide, it is one of the more common #fiddlercrab species in its area. It has a broad front, a mostly white claw, a white or black and white striped carapace, and legs ranging from red to white. The similar A. perplexa and A. annulipes tend to have more color in the claw and different striping on the carapace.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_lactea.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555986-Austruca-lactea

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 Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab, Leptuca pugilator, found on the Atlantic coast of the USA from ~Alabama to Massachusetts, as well as the Bahamas.

A medium #fiddlercrab with a carapace about 2 cm wide, it is often the assumed "species" by non-experts (often in error), but is primarily distinguishable by the presence of a purple patch on the carapace. This can be obvious or obscured, but is almost always present.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_pugilator.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/555968-Leptuca-pugilator

Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Victorian Fiddler Crab, Minuca victoriana, found only on the coast of Brazil.

A small #fiddlercrab with a carapace about 1 cm wide, it is obscure and poorly known (not sure if rare or just understudied). It is nondescript and may be hard to distinguish from other species, although the white lower finger of the large claw seems unusual (in most species with pale fingers it is either both or only the upper finger).

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_victoriana.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/107572430

Our #fiddlercraboftheweek is the Necklaced Fiddler Crab, Uca monilifera, found only in the northern half of the Gulf of California.

A very large #fiddlercrab, with a carapace between 4-5 cm in breadth, it is easy to identify by the unique powder blue color; the large body size and somewhat unusual shape of the claw also help distinguish it within the range.

https://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_monilifera.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/67461-Uca-monilifera