About Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772)
Ocypode ceratophthalmus, commonly known as the horned ghost crab or horn-eyed ghost crab, is a species of ghost crab. It inhabits the Indo-Pacific region with the exception of the Red Sea. Its distribution ranges along coasts from East Africa to the Philippines, from Japan to the Great Barrier Reef, and extends east across Pacific Islands as far as Polynesia and Clipperton Island. As its common name suggests, this species has eyestalks that extend past the eyes into long points. These extensions are longer in adult individuals, and shorter or even completely absent in juveniles. This crab has a box-shaped body, with a carapace that measures 6 to 8 centimeters (2.4 to 3.1 inches) across. It has a darker H-shaped marking toward the rear of its body. In larger individuals, the outer edges of the eye-sheaths are sharp, broadly triangular, and point distinctly sideways. Horned ghost crabs can reach running speeds of up to 2.1 meters per second, which equals 6.9 feet per second. The characteristic horned eyes of Ocypode ceratophthalmus are not unique to this species. It should not be confused with other ghost crab species that also have horn-like extensions on their eyestalks, including O. cursor, O. gaudichaudii, O. macrocera, O. mortoni, O. rotundata, and O. saratan.
