Nature quest: Fiddlers by the sea

A male fiddler crab flaunting his most prized possession – his one big claw – as he wanders a beach in Teknaf. Found in mangroves, salt marshes and sandy beaches in many regions, including the Indo-Pacific, the fiddler crab is one of the over 100 species that live in both land and sea.

The males only have the one big claw, which they use to woo the females and fight off other dominant males. In fact, the big claw can be regenerated if they are lost in a fight. The females select their male mates according to the size of the big claw and how well they use it.

PHOTO: TIMU HOSSAIN

The males use the small claw for feeding and the movement of the smaller claw from the ground to the mouth looks as if the animal were playing the larger claw like a fiddle, thus the name.