Sand bugs are egg-shaped and are about 1.5 inches long. Like other crustaceans of the group Anomura, sand bugs have articulated exoskeletons made of chitin and 10 pereiopods or small legs. Sand bugs are yellowish to gray, often showing purple to blueish markings and have two pairs of antennae. Unlike the true crabs, they do not have claws.
Algae and plankton are the main diet of sand bugs, which feed by filtering the water when digging burrows in the sand. These creatures are part of the diets of several animals, including shorebirds, gulls, fish, ghost and blue crabs. Fishermen often use sand bugs as bait for redfish, pompano, sheepshead, whiting and other fish species. Due to their color, sand bugs can easily camouflage in the sand.
These small crustaceans have very short legs that are adapted to dig backwards into the sand. They have tailplates near their abdomen, which they use to firmly anchor their bodies in the sand. Sand bugs have a long pair of antennae adapted to filter the water, collecting food they later take to their mouths. The shorter pair of antennae are adapted for breathing.
Like other crustaceans, sand bugs go through metamorphosis during their life cycle. They reproduce during the spring and summer months when females can produce many thousands of eggs. After hatching, sand bugs go through four to six larval stages before reaching sexual maturity. During this period of growth, they change their exoskeleton several times. When adults, sand bugs can completely bury themselves into the sand in less than two seconds.