The swift movements and the ability to quickly run in any direction are the reasons behind Sally Lightfoot Crab’s name.
Tourists get excited and entertained to see them as these colorful creatures are agile and possess incredibly quick reflexes which allow them to outrun almost any predator.
Watch them below!
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Video credit: Rumble
At a popular beach on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, this little crab was walking slowly over the mangrove roots. He was stopping to pick at small items in the sand and pushed them into his mouth with both claws. He was eating things in the sand which were visible to him. A bubble was constantly producing from his mouth when he was eating something.
Crabs can also live on land as long as their gills are moist and allow them to filter oxygen out of the air. The crab notices those who click pictures of him. The amazing camera footage shows perfect details of his eyes, mouth and hair on his legs.
Sally Lightfoot crabs are considered “janitors” of the beaches and shorelines and they are omnivores. Their food is eating dead, decaying animals, as well as algae and decaying seaweed. The Sally Lightfoot Crab has a brown body, with orange to yellow rings on the legs.
They are considered to be a Reef Tank Safe Janitor as it does not bother corals but does a great job of eating Green Hair Algae, detritus and uneaten food.
Sally Lightfoot crabs are brightly-colored coastal scavengers which are found in the Galapagos Islands and across the western coast of South and Central America.point 370 |
According to the Galapagos Conservation Trust website, ‘’They have an extremely generalist diet, feeding on anything from sea lion placenta to other crabs.point 137 | This makes them an important part of the ecosystem, as they provide services such as keeping the shore clean of any organic debris and eating ticks off marine iguanas.point 276 |
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