Leptuca cumulanta, commonly known as the heaping fiddler crab or the mangrove fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to tropical and subtropical areas of the western Atlantic.[1][2]
Previously a member of the genus Uca, the species was transferred in 2016 to the genus Leptuca when Leptuca was promoted from subgenus to genus level.[3][4]
Carapace width is approximately 12-13mm in adult males and 8-9mm in adult females.[1][5] Displaying males exhibit bright blue green carapaces.[5]
The crab can be found in Central America (Panama), South America (Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil), and the Caribbean (Curaçao, Jamaica, and Trinidad).[2][5] In Brazil, the crab can be found along the coast between the states of Para and Rio de Janeiro.[2][6]
The species lives in brackish environments of low to moderate salinity, including mangrove stands and open mudflats.[2] It lives on sandy silt and sandy clay substrate, and prefers substrate with at least some clay incorporated within it.[1][2]
Leptuca cumulanta, commonly known as the heaping fiddler crab or the mangrove fiddler crab, is a species of fiddler crab native to tropical and subtropical areas of the western Atlantic.
