Kiritimati: Fiddler Crabs

Kiritimati being the worlds largest atol has lots of beaches and shallow areas and lagoon with brackish water – all perfect for the tropical fiddler crabs. There are over 100 species of fiddler crabs worldwide, the species found on Kiritimati is the Tetragonal Fiddler Crab aka Gelasimus tetragonon. Fidler crabs are rather small but easily distinguishable by their oversized claw, which males use for communication and courtship displays. The claw is often bigger than the entire crab! Only males have super claws, females have normal claws. Interestingly, these guys can regrow the claw if it’s lost, also they change color slightly between night and day.