Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Yellow mangrove
Yellow mangroves are so called because of their
yellow-green leaves.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Ceriops tagal var. australis (yellow mangrove) is a member of the Rhizophoraceae family. It
is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region and distributed across northern Australia,
extending south to the Tweed River on the east coast and to Broome in Western Australia.
This species is commonly found on firm, peaty, well drained clays, clayey mud or sand clays
at the upper tidal limit of the mangrove shore. Here, infrequent tidal inundation aids in
accumulating leaves and twigs, which decompose to form peat.
Yellow mangrove also grows in soils that are poorly drained and frequently inundated by the
tides, where it forms low, open shrub lands.
Description
This species can grow from a shrub of 0.5-1 m to a small slender tree of 2-7 m.
The bark is yellowish or light brown to grey, and is roughened by corky lenticels (air pores)
along the trunk.
The base of the tree is buttressed (a distinguishing feature) and leaves are yellow-green with
dark green in shaded areas.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Leaves grow to 7 cm long and 4 cm wide, are oval-shaped with a notched tip and are slightly
curled under at the edges. They are arranged opposite one another in groups at the ends of
branchlets.
Flowers are white and about 6 mm long, and appear in pairs at the base of the leaves.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts





The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Buttressed trunks are a distinguishing feature of the
yellow mangrove.
Flowering and fruiting
Flowering occurs between September and December. Flowers open in the late afternoon and
are pollinated by night-flying insects, such as moths.
Brown, pear-shaped fruit that is 10 to 12 mm long appear between December and January. A
smooth, tapered, cylindrical propagule of 10 to 15 cm protrudes through the fruit wall and is
suspended vertically beneath the fruit. This propagule often takes on a reddish colour as it
matures until it is shed into the water with the fruit.
Salt tolerance
This species excludes salts through its roots as water is taken up.
Uses
The timber is tough and dark brown. It can be used as a tanning agent, as dye and
in medicines. It has substantial value as fisheries and wildlife habitats.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Milky mangrove
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts





The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Milky mangrove leaves often grow in a mixed
mangrove community and have leaves that may be
green or yellow.
Excoecaria agallocha (milky or blind-your-eye mangrove) is a member of the Euphorbiaceae
family, and distributed from northern New South Wales up to Queensland and through to
Western Australia.
In Queensland, it is a mangrove of the upper tidal limits that occurs at the landward fringe of
the community, often in mixed stands with the grey mangrove, river mangrove and whiteflowered black mangrove (Lumnitzera racemosa).
Description
Milky mangrove grows up to 10 m high and has grey to fawn-brown bark marked with
longitudinal rows of corky brown air pores. It has surface roots that uptake oxygen when
exposed to air at low tide.
Its pale green to yellow leaves are attached alternately on the stems, and measure up to 11
cm long and 4 cm wide. They are oval with a pointed tip, rounded at the base and often finely
toothed at the edges.
Milky mangrove timber is light, soft and pale.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

The major feature of this mangrove is the milky sap that exudes from the plant when
branches or leaves are broken. The sap is poisonous, and can cause severe skin irritation and
temporary blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes.
The milky mangrove is so named because of the
white sap that exudes when stems or leaves are
broken.
Flowering and fruiting
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Minute flowers 2 mm in diameter appear from October to April. Male and female flowers are
located on separate trees and occur on spikes 2.5 to 3.5 cm long, growing from stems among
foliage.
Fruiting occurs throughout the year with the appearance of small, three-lobed, fleshy, green
capsules about 5 mm in diameter and arranged in clusters. Each lobe contains a single seed
that is released from the capsule as it opens. The seeds are buoyant due to an air space
within the seed coat, and they float with the tides and currents until they encounter a
suitable soil. Germination then takes place and seedling development occurs.
Uses
Milky mangrove is used for incense, canoe construction, pollen for beekeepers, shoreline
protection, and provision of habitat for marine and terrestrial wildlife. The sap may be used
for fish poison and medicinally in treating chronic ulcerous diseases, such as leprosy.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Primary Industries
od
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Milky mangrove
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Grey mangrove
Grey mangroves are common in Queensland.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Avicennia marina (grey mangrove) belongs to the Avicenniaceae family. It is the most
common and widespread mangrove found along the mainland coast of Australia. It is the only
mangrove species able to withstand the cooler climates of South Australia and Victoria.
Grey mangrove occurs in intertidal zones on a range of soft muds to sandy soils. It is
common along the tidal margins of estuaries and along saline or brackish river areas where it
may grow with river, red and other mangrove species. As a pioneer species, grey mangrove
commonly colonises developing mud banks.
Description
Grey mangrove generally grows to 25 m high, though trees of 10 to 15 m are common in
Queensland under favourable conditions. Trees have a large trunk covered by light grey,
finely fissured bark that supports a spreading leafy crown.
Leaves measure up to 8 cm in length and 5 cm in width. They are oval, pointed and arranged
opposite one another on the stems. The leaves are glossy green above with a distinctive pale
and slightly hairy, grey underside. Stomata (pores) and salt glands are scattered over the
entire leaf surface but are more abundant on the underside. Flowers are small and yellow,
and appear in clusters.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

A distinguishing feature of this species is the numerous spongy pencil-like pneumatophores
(peg-like roots) that spread out from the base of the trunk. Pneumatophores originate from
horizontal, underground lateral roots and grow vertically through the soil surface to enable
the mangrove roots to breathe.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

The peg-like roots of the grey mangrove can form a
dense covering over the ground.
Flowering and fruiting
Flowering occurs in mid to late summer. The pale green, flattened fruits (3 cm long and 2 cm
wide) consist of a thin, hairy seed coat and enclose two closely folded seed leaves. The seeds
germinate while attached to the tree (vivipary), which allows for quick establishment once
the seed settles.
Salt tolerance
As a pioneer species, grey mangrove is very tolerant of extreme saline conditions as it
actively resists the uptake of salt at the roots. Grey mangroves can also withstand short
periods of inundation by freshwater or hypersaline water (salinity exceeding that of
seawater). However, all mangroves are susceptible to extended periods of waterlogging, with
death occurring within 14 days.
Uses
Australian Aboriginals and Europeans used grey mangrove timber for shields and boat
building respectively due to its light weight and strength. Grey mangrove timber was also an
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

important resource for oyster growers in the 1900s, which led to the protection of mangroves
under early fisheries legislation.
Grey mangroves stabilise river banks and channels, provide areas for spat settlement in
oyster culture, act as a source of pollen for beekeepers, and provide suitable habitats for
waterbirds and juveniles of important recreational and commercial fish species. Grey
mangroves also increase the amenity value of our waterways by screening development and
buffering storm surges and wind.
nd 1995-2012.
Queensland Government
Orange mangrove
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

The orange mangrove has distinctive ´knee roots´.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Bruguiera gymnorhiza (orange mangrove) belongs to the Rhizophoraceae family and is
widespread across northern Australia. It ranges along the east coast from the Clarence River
in New South Wales to Cape York and west to Darwin in the Northern Territory.
This species prefers firm, well drained, muddy soils that experience only a few high tides
each month. It is often the most landward of mangroves and is common in areas subject to
freshwater influence, such as brackish reaches of tidal streams.
Description
Orange mangrove reaches up to 20 m. Its key feature is its knobbly, bent knee-shaped
pneumatophores that are involved in gaseous exchange. These roots develop from the
underground root system and protrude through the soil surface at intervals.
The bark is fissured, rough in texture and grey-brown in colour. Buttressing is sometimes
present at the base of the trunk.
Large leaves grow to 20 cm long and 7 cm wide. They are smooth, thick, elliptical in shape
and arranged in opposite pairs on the ends of branches. The upper leaf surface is glossy and
dark green, while the underside is paler green.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

The leaf stalk is tinged with red and flowers appear at the base of the leaves.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Orange mangroves have rough fissured bark, glossy
large leaves and red flowers.
Flowering and fruiting
Flowering occurs throughout the year, with single-seeded fleshy fruits appearing from August
to February. Seeds suspend vertically beneath a red, cup-shaped flower.
After germinating and falling from the tree, the seed floats to be dispersed by the movement
of the tides.
Salt tolerance
This species excludes sea salt from its roots as seawater is taken up. Although some salt is
taken up, it is removed as it accumulates in the leaves that grow old and fall from the plant.
Uses
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

The timber is hard, durable and yellow. It is commonly used overseas in the
construction of houses, boats and fish traps. Other uses include firewood and
tanning fish nets. The fruit is edible once cooked
introduction
>
>
Plant Diversity - Mangroves
Mangroves are what we call the collection of salt tolerant plants that are found
along coastal areas and up rivers in the tropics and subtropics. There are 34
species of mangroves in Queensland with a total of only 69 species worldwide.
visitor and
Boardwalks have been installed at several locations in the Wet Tropics area and
tourism
this makes a wander through the mangrove forest enjoyable and easy - but don't
information
forget your insect repellent!
things to do
These salt tolerant plants have adapted for where they live. Each high tide, the
plants & animals
sea floods their roots and trunks. The mangroves have a number of different
rainforest
systems
to handle all this salt:
aboriginal
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

heritage
 their roots can prevent its absorption by filtering it out
 theyfor
can concentrate the salt in older leaves which fall off, taking their
resources
accumulated
salt with them
students &
 some species have salt glands which actually excrete the salt onto the
teachers
surface of the leaves where it is washed away by the rain.
managing a world
heritage area
Some species of mangroves are more salt tolerant than others and, because of
threats
to are
the distinct zones in a mangrove forest where the boundaries between
this,
there
world
heritage
species can easily be seen. The less salt tolerant trees are actually on the
area side as they will be frequently washed by seawater. Salt pans are
seaward
research &in the Wet Tropics but can be found in extremely saline situations.
uncommon
monitoring
Salt
meadows of salt tolerant grasses and fleshy herbs occur in small patches
among
maps mangroves on higher and drier areas inundated only by king tides. Small
depressions form salt scalds after the sea water evaporates. Salt pans, salt
working with
meadows
and salt scalds are more extensive in the drier northern and southern
the community
extremities
of the Wet Tropics.
media and
Mangroves
actually enhance their own environment, in a way. The root systems
publications
are designed to trap silt - the more silt builds up, the more mangroves can grow,
and trap more silt and make more muddy areas for more mangroves. But
mangroves have had to adapt to all this mud. In terrestrial plants, the soil gets
soaked from rain and then dries out, allowing air to reach the roots. This doesn't
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

happen with mangroves as there is little to no oxygen available in the heavy
mud, so these plants have adapted their roots to be able to get oxygen without
extracting it from the mud. Their roots grow up out of the mud so that oxygen
is accessed straight from the air. Many of the root types are distinctive to the
species of mangrove so the plant's genus can be identified sometimes by the
root type alone.
Some common root types (the roots that grow up out of the mud are called
pneumatophores) are:
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Reproduction
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

Mangrove reproduction has also adapted to be successful in a salt water
environment. All mangroves flower but some don't produce seeds which fall off
like other plants but rather 'live plants'.
The fertilised seed develops into a seedling while still
attached to the flower. The seedling is merely a long, cigar
shaped 'stem' (called a propagule) and this grows for up to a
year on the tree before it is ready to find a place of its own
to grow. When it reaches about 20 cm (8 inches),
depending on the species, it drops off and is carried by the
tide. These seedlings are often washed up onto tropical
beaches. If the seedling gets carried into brackish water
shallows (part fresh, part salt water) and is lodged into a
muddy bottom, roots are quickly sent out to take hold in the
soil and the stem grows upward and produces leaves.
Of course, other species of mangrove do produce seeds which drop off and
float in the water until they reach a brackish water area and their seed coat
breaks away, allowing the seed to start a shoot.
The mangrove forest provides shelter and food for a wide range of animals,
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

especially invertebrates and juvenile marine species. For example:







the algae that collects on the surface of aerial roots (pneumatophores) is
food for snails and crustaceans
the leaves that drop off the trees are taken into crab burrows to stimulate
the growth of algae eaten by the crabs
the flooded roots provide protection for juvenile fish, especially Great
Barrier Reef species and commercial fish
the snails and juvenile fish are food for wading and water birds
the lack of large, wandering animals creates a sheltered area for a
myriad of spiders and flying-foxes
the mud is the perfect medium to create burrows in for crabs and
snapping shrimp
the trunks and roots which are regularly submerged by tides are a good
place for bivalves (such as oysters and mussels) to attach
Mangroves are a living buffer between the land and the sea. The dense silt
amassed by their root systems prevents erosion from their landward side while
it also minimises erosion from wave activity on the seaward side. The forest
itself bears the brunt of storm activity, allowing the coast behind it to remain
protected.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

So the next time you see a stretch of mangroves and think that they are
boring - take a closer look. There's lots of life in there!
Mangrove distribution and diversity
Duke and Larkum, 2008:
"Mangroves are a diverse group of predominantly tropical trees and shrubs growing in the upper
half of the intertidal zone of coastal areas worldwide. They are well known for their morphological
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts




The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.

and physiological adaptations for life coping with salt, saturated soils and regular tidal inundation,
notably with specialised attributes like: exposed breathing roots above ground, extra stem
support structures, salt-excreting leaves, low water potentials and high intracellular salt
concentrations to maintain favorable water relations in saline environments and viviparous waterdispersed propagules. Mangroves are often mistakenly thought of as a single entity. But, like
coral reefs, mangroves are as functionally diverse and complex as the range of species, variants
and morphotypes present at particular locations. Also, like coral reefs, they provide essential
structure and habitat for a host of marine and intertidal species, including residents including
residents among their dense forests and complex roots, and as visitors with each flooding tide
(Box16.1, Fig. 16.2).
Mangroves are also analogous in function to tropical rainforests, providing comparable canopy
habitat for birds, mammals and insects. This overlap is reinforced by ancestral links between
these plant habitats. But, despite the shared features, mangroves include specialist attributes and
dedicated resident biota found no where else. Examples include specialist mangrove forms of the
robin, mistletoebird, mistletoes, grapsidcrabs, molluscs, herbivorous insects, and numerous floral
visitors."
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts





The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.
Chost Crabs
Design
The Creator has given this crab an exceptional ability that helps it survive during the winter.
The ghost crab stores oxygen in air sacs near its gills. During its winter hibernation, it uses
this stored oxygen while it remains buried in the sand.
Features



The ghost crab is aptly named. It is a pale, sandy color, making it almost invisible on
the sand.
Its black eyes are held aloft on stalks.
Like all true crabs, the ghost crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which is a pair of
claws (called chelipeds), one of which is larger than the other.
Fun Facts





The ghost crab is sometimes called the sand crab.
These crabs tunnel up to four feet into the sand at a 45° angle, creating 1 to 2 inchwide holes, which speckle the beach.
The ghost crab can move at speeds up to 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s), while making
sharp directional changes.
This creatures uses its sharp 360-degree vision to see flying insects and catch them in
mid air.