Mole Crabs

ocean · crustaceans · beach

Backward burrowers. Mole crabs dig into wet sand on beaches by moving their legs backward really fast, disappearing in seconds. They're so good at this that they're sometimes called sand crabs.

Ocean wave riders. These little crustaceans live right at the edge of the waves where the sand gets washed back and forth. They use the movement of the water and sand to help them burrow down and hide.

Tiny decapods. Mole crabs belong to a group called decapods, which means they have ten legs like shrimp and lobsters. Most mole crabs are only about an inch or two long.

Filter feeding masters. Instead of hunting, mole crabs use special feathery parts to catch tiny bits of food floating in the ocean water. They stick out these feathery antennae into the waves and trap plankton like a net.

Sandy home builders. You might see little V-shaped marks on the beach where mole crabs have burrowed, but you'll rarely see the creatures themselves because they hide so well.