The European fiddler crab utilizes both visual display and seismic vibrations during its courtship dance, primarily performed by males to attract females. Researchers from the University of Oxford discovered that the vibrations, created through various movements like drumming on sand and other body actions, play a critical role in communication. The courtship involves four stages, each providing more vibrational output to entice a potential mate, culminating in underground drumming that beckons females to approach. This multi-faceted communication system demonstrates the intricacy of mating behaviors in crustaceans.
It was things like bouncing on their legs, it was simultaneously crushing their claw and their body into the sand, which were far more complex than we expected.
Visually they can't be seen either by us or the females, but it does have a very, very strong seismic component. It's 'come and find me in my underground house, ladies.'
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