Sand Bubbler
Scopimera inflata
Features: Small, globular, sandy-coloured. Unlike any other crab, Sand Bubblers have broad oval patches (tympana) on their legs, which were once thought thought to act like ear-drums; however more recent studies have shown that these patches are respiratory structures that absorb oxygen from the air. To 12 mm in carapace width.
Notes: Wave-exposed and estuarine sandy beaches, intertidal. Makes distinctive patterns of small, sand balls radiating away from burrows (the result of feeding and 'house-keeping' activities). Indigenous, eastern Australia.