? Ghost crab
Ocypode cordimana photographed at Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Suborder: Pleocyemata Infraorder: Brachyura Superfamily: Ocypodoidea Family: Ocypodidae Genus: Ocypode
Species
O. cordimanus

The ghost crab or sand crab, of the genus Ocypode , is a common shore crab in many countries. In the eastern United States, Ocypode quadrata is frequently seen scurrying along beaches between sunset and dawn. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1470x849, 702 KB) Crab at Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia. ... Looking into the bay from the south Batemans Bay at twilight; looking towards the Tollgate Islands Batemans Bay (postcode: 2536, 35°42′S 150°11′E) is a town and a bay in the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Binomial name Aptenodytes forsteri Gray, 1844 For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... Classes Remipedia Cephalocarida Branchiopoda Ostracoda Maxillopoda Malacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods (55,000 species), usually treated as a subphylum. ... Orders Subclass Eumalacostraca  Superorder Eucarida   Order Amphionidacea   Order Decapoda - crabs, shrimp   Order Euphausiacea - krill  â€ Superorder Pancarida   â€ Order Thermosbaenacea  Superorder Peracarida   Order Amphipoda - amphipods   Order Cumacea - cumaceans   Order Isopoda - pillbugs, sowbugs   Order Lophogastrida   Order Mictacea   Order Mysida   â€ Order Spelaeogriphacea   Order Tanaidacea  Superorder Syncarida   Order Anaspidacea   Order Bathynellacea   â€ Order Palaeocaridacea   Order Stygocaridacea... Suborders and Infraorders Dendrobranchiata Pleocyemata Caridea Stenopodidea Reptantia, comprising: Eryonoidea Achelata Astacidea Glypheidea Thalassinidea Anomala Brachyura The decapods or Decapoda are a group of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups of crustaceans, such as crabs, lobsters and shrimp, but also some families that are less well known. ... Infraorders Caridea Stenopodidea Reptantia, divided into: Polychelida Achelata Glypheoidea Astacidea Thalassinidea Anomala Brachyura Pleocyemata is a sub-order of decapod crustaceans, erected by Martin Burkenroad in 1963. ... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term crab is sometimes applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapods with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are, despite superficial similarities... Binomial name Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) The ghost crab or sand crab, Ocypode quadrata, is a common shore crab in the eastern United States, where it is frequently seen scurrying along beaches between sunset and dawn. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term crab is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapod crustaceans with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are, despite superficial... A red sunset panorama Sunset, also called sundown in some American English dialects, is the time at which the Sun disappears below the horizon in the west. ... Dawn or civil dawn is the time at which the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning. ...

These crabs are called ghosts because of their ability to disappear from sight almost instantly, scuttling at speeds up to 10 miles per hour, while making sharp directional changes. These creatures have two black eyes, with sharp 360 degree vision which they use to see flying insects and catch them in mid air. The ghost crab, however, cannot see directly up, so it must burrow into the ground to prevent birds from catching it. Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term crab is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapod crustaceans with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are, despite superficial... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... An eye is an organ of vision that detects light. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Orders Many - see section below. ...

The ghost crab tunnels down four feet into the ground at a 45° angle, creating 1-2 inch wide holes, which speckle the beach. At dusk, these crabs will sprint to the ocean in order to obtain oxygen from the water which washes over their gills, and in June, females will release their eggs into the ocean. Ghost crabs hibernate during the winter, holding their breath for six weeks, by storing oxygen in sacs near the gills. Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... gills of a Smooth Newt Gills inside of a tuna head In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ... An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams In some animals, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... [[Image:http://www. ... Hibernation is a state of regulated hypothermia, lasting several days or weeks, that allows animals to conserve energy during the winter. ... In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ...

The common ghost crab or smooth-handed ghost crab (Ocypode cordimana) is found on the northern Australian coast from the Kimberley region of Western Australia to New South Wales, being particularly common in New South Wales. It is also found in the Indo-Pacific region. The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia, consisting of the local government areas of Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, Halls Creek and Wyndham-East Kimberley. ... Emblems: ? (please edit) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Characteristics of the species include one claw being larger than the other, but not as profoundly as for the male fiddler crab. Actually play fiddles, hence the name. ...

External references

Australian Department of Environment and Heritage page on Ocypode cordimana