The tide is truly the lifeblood of the marsh bringing its contribution every six hours
with each ebb and flow. The incoming tide nourishes and feeds, while the outgoing tide
transports food and nutrients produced by the salt marsh to the sea.
territory. The small claws are needed for gathering food.
Fiddlers usually live in large groups, which helps them
to spot predators. They live near the water in 1/2-inch
wide burrows that they dig almost straight down one to
two feet into the mud, forming pellets as they go. These
burrows provide a quick escape from predators like fish,
water birds, and raccoons and provide cool shade from the
sun. The burrows also provide a place for them to stay
during high tide and to hibernate. Fiddlers will roll up
a ball of mud and use it to plug the hole of their burrow
as the water covers it, trapping a tiny pocket of air inside
that helps them breathe. Fiddler crabs feed by collecting
bits of mud and sifting through it for detritus, decayed
plant and animal matter. The female will lay eggs in a
mass, totaling several thousand. Fish eat many of the
young larvae, but those that survive will molt through five
different stages before reaching adulthood after one year.
One of the unique sounds of the marsh is that of
the rarely seen clapper rail (Rallus longirostris). It has
a l