Overexploited
Guides
Ucididae
mangrove crabs, uçá-crabs
Ucididae is a family of semiterrestrial brachyuran crabs currently recognized as containing a single genus, Ucides, with Ucides cordatus as the best-studied species. These crabs are obligate inhabitants of neotropical mangrove ecosystems, where they construct deep burrows in intertidal sediments. The family exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in morphology and behavior, with males possessing disproportionately large chelipeds and females showing abdomen enlargement for egg incubation. Ucididae species are economically significant throughout their range, supporting artisanal fisheries in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Suriname.