Crustaceans are a highly successful group of arthropods adapted to marine ecosystems. Crabs, shrimp, copepods (a type of zooplankton), and lobsters are just a few of the crustaceans that call Assateague home.
On Assateague the most commonly observed crustaceans are crabs. Note that most crabs are aquatic species, including all of our native hermit crabs. A few species found on Assateague are semi-terrestrial. Ghost crabs and fiddler crabs bear gills that are specialized for pulling oxygen from the air rather than the water. As adults, these particular crabs can only survive a short period submerged underwater. ![]() NPS photo ![]() NPS Photo |
Last updated: July 28, 2018