Soldier CrabMictyris Platycheles

Brian MurrayHour 6

Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia • Phylum: Arthropoda• Subphylum: Crustacea • Class: Malacostraca • Order: Decapoda • Infraorder: Brachyura • Superfamily: Ocypodoidea • Family: Mictyridae • Genus: Mictyris • Species: Platycheles

Characteristics

• 12mm-25mm diameter• Developed a hard outer layer• Free living organism that feeds on the nutrients

stuck to sand• Eat decomposing animals for nutrients• Omnivore• Amphibious• Abdomen is main part of body; head merged with

it

Special Characteristics

• Spherical shaped body• Bluish shell• When scared the corkscrew them self in to the

sand hiding them selves• Not endangered• Live in large groups

Life

• Return to the sea to have their offspring• Sexual Reproduction• Females store males sperm until ready for use• Normally return to shore during low tide

(Young Soldier Crab)

Habitat

• Beaches of Australia• Eats dead and decomposing animals• Cleans beaches• Lives in holes that they make my corkscrewing

them selves into the ground

CRABS IN ACTION

Works Cited

• http://people.hws.edu/fieldguide/show.asp?ID=101

• http://www.auseco.com.au/index.asp?pagename=eco+updates+soldier+crabs

• http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/1897004528_3d39f48e66.jpg

• http://tropicalreef.homestead.com/Soldier-Crab.jpg

• http://www.ourbrisbane.com/photos/260872.soldier-crabs-sandgate