Ocypode ceratophthalmus

Ocypode ceratophthalmus,^[2] the horned ghost crab^[3] or horn-eyed ghost crab,^[4] is a species of ghost crab. It lives in the Indo-Pacific region (except the Red Sea); from the coast of East Africa to the Philippines and from Japan to the Great Barrier Reef. They also occur in the Pacific Islands to as far east as Polynesia and Clipperton Island.^[5][6] As their common name implies, O. ceratophthalmus possess eyestalks extending beyond the eyes into long points,^[7] which are longer in adults, and shorter (or even absent) in juveniles. The crabs have a box-shaped body, 6–8 centimetres (2.4–3.1 in) across the carapace, with a darker markings towards the rear in the shape of an H. The outer edges of the eye-sheaths are also sharp and broadly triangular and distinctly pointing sideways in larger individuals.^[4][5] O. ceratophthalmus can run at speeds of up to 2.1 metres per second (6.9 ft/s).^[8]

Phylum:Arthropoda

Clade:Pancrustacea

Class:Malacostraca

Order:Decapoda

Quick facts Scientific classification, Binomial name ...

Ocypode ceratophthalmus
O. ceratophthalmus, Krabi, Thailand
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Ocypodidae
Genus:	Ocypode
Species:	O. ceratophthalmus
Binomial name
Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772) [1]
Synonyms
Cancer ceratophthalmus Pallas, 1772 Cancer caninus Herbst, 1782 Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772) Ocypode longicornuta Dana, 1852 Ocypode brevicornis var. longicornuta Dana, 1852 Ocypoda macleayana Hess, 1865 Ocypode urvillei Guérin, 1829 Ocypode rhombea Weber, 1795

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The characteristic "horned" eyes of O. ceratophthalmus are not unique to the species, and it should not be confused with other ghost crabs which also exhibit "horns" on the end of their eyestalks such as O. cursor, O. gaudichaudii, O. macrocera, O. mortoni, O. rotundata, and O. saratan.^[5]