Ocypode is a genus of ghost crabs found in the sandy shores of tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. They have a box-like body, thick and elongated eyestalks, and one claw is larger than the other in both males and females. They inhabit deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are primarily nocturnal, and are generalist scavengers and predators of small animals. The genus contains 21 species.
Ocypode
Ocypode africana from the Congo River estuary
Ocypode brevicornis from Chennai, India
Ocypode ceratophthalma from the Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory
Ghost crabs are semiterrestrial crabs of the subfamily Ocypodinae. They are common shore crabs in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, inhabiting deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are generalist scavengers and predators of small animals. The name "ghost crab" derives from their nocturnality and their generally pale coloration. They are also sometimes called sand crabs, though the name refers to various other crabs that do not belong to the subfamily.
Ghost crab
Exophthalmy in the painted ghost crab (Ocypode gaudichaudii)
Stridulating (sound-producing) ridge on the larger claw of Ocypode brevicornis
Ocypode madagascariensis digging a burrow