Photo made by our guest Mr. Alfred STEFFEN.

Ghost crab

Ghost crab

Ghost crabs also have the ability to change colors to match their surroundings by adjusting the concentration and dispersal of pigments within their chromatophores.^[6] They can even match the specific colors of the grains of sand in their habitats.^[15] However, unlike metachrosis (which is a rapid change of colors), ghost crabs are only capable of morphological color change, which occurs over a longer span of time.^[6]

Due to their worldwide distribution and the ease by which their burrows can be surveyed, ghost crab burrows are regarded as valuable ecological indicators for quickly assessing the impact of human disturbance on beach habitats.