The fiddler crab derives its name from the fact that one of the male's claws, called the fiddle, is larger than the other.
Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish intertidal mud flats, lagoons and swamps.
Often, for defense or during courtship, the fiddler crab holds the claw up and seems to be playing a tune on it with the other claw, called the bow.
Female fiddlers have two small claws. Most fiddler crabs measure less than 1 inch in width. Their shells are usually brown and are marked with darker brown and purple.
Like all crabs, fiddler crabs shed their shells as they grow.
The fiddler crabs feed on small organisms.
Fiddler crabs are classified as phylum Arthropoda, class Crustacea, genus Uca.
Fiddler crab
