Horned ghost crab, Grand Anse, Praslin island, Seychelles
Horned ghost crab, Grand Anse, Praslin island, Seychelles (© Ingo Schulz/Offset by Shutterstock)
Horned ghost crab, Grand Anse, Praslin island, Seychelles
The crustacean staring at the camera on our homepage is a horned ghost crab, a species of ghost crab that lives in the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from East Africa to Australia. They have a box-shaped body and long eyestalks that extend beyond the eye, appearing like a pair of pointed horns. These crabs enjoy warmer climates and sandy beaches, which they roam at low tide, especially at night. They can burrow quickly into wet sand and are very fast runners. Look closer at our image and you will see they also have one claw larger than the other, which they use to fight with other crabs.
© Ingo Schulz/Offset by Shutterstock