At night, Ghost Crabs run down to the surf to to feed. It was fun to go out with our flashlights and watch them scurry down into the water! They eat dead fish, Coquina clam animals, and tiny creatures that live in the sand washed over by the surf.
Juvenile Ghost Crabs are small and extremely well-camouflaged. It is fun to sit quietly and watch them come out of their holes. They are very sensitive to motion, any movement will send them racing to the safety to their burrow in a split second.
Navarre Beach, FL July 28, 2009 These little white crabs exit their holes in the sand at dusk to scavenge and filter feed each evening. They are very skittish and quickly run back to their burrows if they feel threatened. I had to stand very still to get this shot with my telephoto lens. When I moved slowly to get a better angle, the crab retreated into its hole and I didn't see it again. The burrows can go as deep as 4 feet, so it would be difficult to try to dig a crab out! Note how the eyes are on stalks. When the crab is in its burrow, the eyes swivel down and fit into the hollow areas of the shell.
