Female fiddler crabs want protection not sex

This behaviour of visiting and supposedly rejecting successive males has always been taken as a defining feature of female choosiness, but this study shows that things are not always what they seem. New research has resolved a mystery over why female fiddler crabs visit and leave many males during mating season, and found the females aren't just being picky. The research found the females are actually searching for a safe haven from birds and other predators rather than hunting for the perfect match. Researcher Professor Patricia Backwell from The Australian National University (ANU) said the findings overturn previous theories and helped scientists better understand the breeding habits of fiddler crabs, which are crucial to the ecological health of mangroves, salt marshes and muddy beaches around the world. "This behaviour of visiting and supposedly rejecting successive males has always been taken as a defining feature of female choosiness, but this study shows that things are not always what they seem," said Professor Backwell, from the ANU Research School of Biology. Male fiddler crabs are known for having one claw that is considerably larger than the other. Fiddler crabs are found in mangroves and salt marshes and on sandy or muddy beaches of West Africa, the Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Indo-Pacific.