Ghost crabs, sometimes also referred to as Sand Crabs, are semi-terrestrial crabs and are common shore crabs in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, inhabiting deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are scavengers and predators of small animals.

Most Ghost Crabs have pale bodies that blend in well with the sand, although they are capable of gradually changing body coloration to match the environments and the time of day. They have elongated eyestalks with very large corneas on the bottom half.

They dig deep burrows near the intertidal zone of open sandy beaches and the burrows are usually composed of a long shaft with a chamber at the end. They are semi-terrestrial and breathe oxygen from the air through moistened gills. They must periodically wet their gills with seawater, either by taking water from moist sand or by running into the surf and letting the waves wash over them. However, they can only remain under water for a limited amount of time, otherwise they will drown.

Pretty quick on their pins are these crabs if they sense possible danger, disappearing into the distance or down into the sand at a rate of knots.