| Ucides cordatus | |
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| Ucides cordatus with a Rhizophora mangle leaf | |
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| Species: | U. cordatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ucides cordatus | |
Ucides cordatus, the swamp ghost crab (or caranguejo-uçá in Portuguese), is one of two species of crabs in the genus Ucides. This species of crab is native to many coasts off of the western Atlantic Ocean. It has been found to be native to areas as far as Florida, to as southern as Uruguay. U. cordatus is especially noteworthy in the country in Brazil as it plays important roles in the economy and food resources at Brazil’s Atlantic borders.
Like most other crabs, U. cordatus has two distinct pinchers for different uses. Its left sharp pincher functions to cut and feed and the other pincher, is much larger and used to crush objects. It has an oval back with a unique color scheme. U. cordatus is one of many animals that have sexual dimorphism. Most noticeably, female crabs are larger than their male counter parts.[1] Males have a flatter oval shaped back with a distinct light blue in the middle with a beige white encompassing its back. On the other hand, females have much larger bulbous backs. Their carapaces are a dull dark green with dark purple. Both genders legs are also a dark reddish purple.
- ^ Glaser, Marion; Diele, Karen (2004-07-01). "Asymmetric outcomes: assessing central aspects of the biological, economic and social sustainability of a mangrove crab fishery, Ucides cordatus (Ocypodidae), in North Brazil". Ecological Economics. 49 (3): 361–373. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.01.017. ISSN 0921-8009.