Ghost-crab
Guides
Ocypode quadrata
Atlantic Ghost Crab
Ocypode quadrata, the Atlantic Ghost Crab, is the only ghost crab species occurring along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It inhabits sandy beaches from Massachusetts to tropical regions of the Western Atlantic. The species has been demonstrated to possess notable cognitive abilities including operant conditioning, landmark-based wayfinding, and mirror self-recognition. It functions as a predator, scavenger, and deposit-feeder in coastal ecosystems, and is widely used as a bioindicator for sandy beach health.