Animal Species:Soldier Crab The Soldier Crab lives in sandy
estuaries and mangroves, and occurs in massive groups that seem
to emerge from nowhere all at the same time. The Soldier Crab is
quite distinctive with its small, round, blue body on long
jointed legs with purple stripes. As it marches around feeding,
it moulds the sand into numerous pellets, sorting through it for
organic matter. There is only one other species of soldier crab
common in Sydney. This is the smaller Mictyris platycheles.
Soldier Crabs are found from Northern Queensland, New South
Wales, to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. Also, western Indian
Ocean to French Polynesia. Soldier Crabs live on intertidal
mangroves, beaches and estuaries. Other behaviours and
adaptations It is thought that the spontaneous arrival of
Soldier Crabs is triggered by the falling tide. If disturbed,
they burrow into the sand with a corkscrew motion, disappearing
as quickly as they arrived.