About Dotilla myctiroides (H.Milne Edwards, 1852)
Dotilla myctiroides is a species of sand bubbler crab that occurs on tropical shores and mudflats across India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Members of this species breed year-round, but their breeding activity reaches its peak during the monsoon seasons. Dotilla myctiroides constructs a specialized burrow known as an "igloo", and it can build this structure in both unstable sand and well-drained, firm sand. To build the igloo, the crab excavates sand and shapes it into spherical pellets. These pellets are then used to form a circular wall and roof for the burrow. The finished igloo structure holds a small amount of air, in addition to housing the crab itself.
