Mole Crab Stock Photo

This is the remaining shell of a Mole Crab, sometimes referred to as a Sand crab, which is found on the beaches of the Northeastern United States from Massachusetts southward. This crab does not have any claws. It burrows beneath the sand along the edge of the shore. When a wave crashes onto the sand, the Mole Crab surfaces and rides the wave feeding on small micro-organisms. This is the female of the species which is 1 1/2 inches long.