Atlantic Mole Crab

Emerita talpoida, known generally as the Atlantic mole crab or Atlantic sand crab, is a species of mole crab in the family Hippidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Mexico along the shoreline.^[1][2][3]

Atlantic mole crab, Emerita talpoida

Range

The Atlantic mole crab inhabits the swash zone of sandy beaches from Cape Cod south to the gulf Coast of Mexico.^[4][2] It is one of seven New World Emerita species.^[5]

Ecology

Like all Emerita species, the Atlantic mole crab is a fossorial filter feeder. It requires moving water in order to feed, and it does so by burrowing itself backwards into the sand.^[6] It uses its exposed feathery antennae to filter algae, detritus, and plankton.^[7][8]

The Atlantic mole crab is an important food source for the Atlantic ghost crab, the blue crab, and certain species of fish in the swash zone.^[9][8] Shorebirds, notably sanderlings have also been observed foraging for sand crabs.^[10] The combination of the its burrowing feeding strategy and its camouflaged carapace assist the Atlantic mole crab in evading predation.^[8]

Because they spend much of their life in the swash zone, they can serve as a bioindicator for the effects of large-scale engineering works.^[6]

Taxonomy

Emerita talpoida was originally described as Hippa talpoida in 1817.^[11] In 1879 a review of the family reassigned multiple species, including H. talpoida, from the genus Hippa to the genus Emerita.^[12] The two are now considered sister genera.^[12]

References