Distribution of the fiddler crab (Uca minax) in relation to marsh plants within a Virginia estuary

Abstract

The distribution and abundance of the red-jointed fiddler crab, Uca minax, was related to the distribution of marsh plants within a Virginia estuary. The crab was found in association with 15 species of marsh phanerogams, occurring with five plant species more than 20 percent of the time. These plants were Spartina alterniflora, Scirpus robustus, Distichlis spicata, Spartina patens, and Spartina cynosuroides. Densities ranged from 0-76 burrows per square meter, mean densities being 7.88 within the brackish-water marsh and 14.35 within the salt-water marsh. The crab was not obtained by sampling the freshwater marsh.