The Behavior, Distributions and Function of

Crabs in the Coastal Ecosystem

Ni Made Pertiwi Jaya (1391261029)
Master Program of Environmental Science,
Udayana University

Introduction
The whole fauna that live in the coastal ecosystem has a role
which is important in maintaining the ecological balance.
Among the many fauna lived in the coastal ecosystem, there
are several key species live (keystone species) that play a role
which is very important. One of that species is crabs who live
in the coastal ecosystems.
Crab is proposed as a keystone species in the region coast
because every activity has a major influence on various looks
ecosystem processes.
Therefore, this paper aims to identify crabs from various
aspects, including its behavior, distribution and function in
coastal ecosystems.

The Behavior of Crabs

There are some differences of crab behavior obtained from fiddler
crabs (Uca sp.):
Burrowing
Burrowing was observed in all species at the beach, but not
species who live in the inland mud, where the substrate is
consolidated.
Feeding
Feeding was the most rapid in this crab species, which lives in
the habitat with the coarsest sand and poor food supply.
Agonistic interactions
The aggression was observed in this species around the full
moon, attacks were seen only 10 times during 149 days.
Waving and sexual activity
Waving was associated with aggression, the male display of
standing with the claw extended as a threat posture and twohanded waving by females

The Distribution of Crabs

Some types of crabs are live in coastal ecosystem, such as
the Hermit Crab, Uca sp., Mud Lobster and Mangroves Crab.

Hermit Crab

Uca sp.

Mangroves Crab

Mud Lobster

The illustration of the stages of morphological and evelopmental

of crab and the habitats they occupy (Coconut crab) :

Life cycle, habitat and distribution of the red crab

(Cancer magister) in the estuaries and intertidal zone area :

Distribution of Major Blue Swimming Crab (BSC)

in Indonesia (1990-2006) :

The Function of Crabs in the

Coastal Ecosystem
Crab has a function as a keystone species in the coastal ecosystem.
Some crabs role in the coastal ecosystem, is as the following:
Conversion of nutrients and enhances mineralization
Crab serves crushing and tearing the leaves / litter into smaller size
that can easily microfauna to parse.
Improve the distribution of oxygen in the soil
Hole built by crab has several functions such as refuge from
predators, breeding grounds and help in search of food.
Help the carbon life cycle
Crab is very important in this process especially in the conversion of
nutrients and mineralization is carbon biogeochemical pathways.
Natural food providers
Crab produces hundreds of larvae within its life cycle and in some
species, they can produce thousands of larvae in a single spawning.

Discussion
Crabs is one of key species who live in the coastal ecosystems.
Some types are live in this ecosystem generally known as fiddler
crab, such as Hermit Crab, Uca sp., Mud Lobster and Mangroves
Crab.
Fiddler crabs burrow in intertidal areas and are important
consumers of detritus, bacteria, fungi, and benthic microalgae in
coastal marsh, mangrove, sandflat, and mudflat habitats.
In many tropical environments like in Indonesia more than one
fiddler species co-exist in similar habitats.
They may have different patterns of behavior (mating, feeding, etc.)
and microhabitat preferences, so that their ecological niches are
not identical.

Conclusion
There are various aspects which can identify from crabs in coastal
ecosystems, that is its behavior, distribution and function. Crab
behavior can obtained from the burrowing and feeding activity,
agonistic interactions, waving and sexual activity.
Some types of crabs are live in coastal ecosystem like mangrove,
that is the Hermit Crab, Uca sp., Mud Lobster and Mangroves Crab.
As a keystone species in the region coast, crab has some function,
including converting nutrients and enhances mineralization,
improving distribution oxygen in the soil, helping the carbon life
cycle, amd provide natural food for many species of aquatic biota.

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