Emerita analoga
Species of crustacean
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Key Takeaways
- Emerita analoga , the Pacific sand crab , Pacific mole crab or coldwater mole crab , is a species of small, sand-burrowing decapod crustacean found living in the sand along the temperate western coasts of North and South America.
- Description The Pacific sand crab is a small crustacean growing up to 35 mm (1.
- The female is nearly twice as large as the male and can often be identified by the orange egg mass carried under the telson.
- It has five pairs of legs and three pairs of pleopods.
- The sand crab is well adapted to life in the sand, which presents an unstable substrate, and its shape is an elongated dome shape designed for fast burrowing.
Emerita analoga, the Pacific sand crab, Pacific mole crab or coldwater mole crab, is a species of small, sand-burrowing decapod crustacean found living in the sand along the temperate western coasts of North and South America. It is found on exposed sandy beaches in the swash region of the intertidal zone.
Description
The Pacific sand crab is a small crustacean growing up to 35 mm (1.4 in) long and 25 mm (1.0 in) wide. The female is nearly twice as large as the male and can often be identified by the orange egg mass carried under the telson. The adult is sand-coloured and well camouflaged, and has no claws or spines. It has five pairs of legs and three pairs of pleopods. Sand crabs moult periodically, so their exoskeletons may be found washed up on the beach.
The sand crab is well adapted to life in the sand, which presents an unstable substrate, and its shape is an elongated dome shape designed for fast burrowing. The eyes are on long stalks and the antennules are also elongated so as to project above the surface of the sand. These form a tube which channels water downwards through the gills. The much longer antennae are retractable. When water is overhead, they also project above the sand surface to collect food particles. The legs and uropods have hairy margins to assist in digging and for use in collecting food and transferring it to the mouth.
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