Gallery Spotlight
FLORIDA FIDDLER CRABS – 3 PIECE SET
By Kim B. Parrish
© 2020 – 20 x 20” Oil on Canvas
FIDDLER CRABS
Uca pugilator
Fiddler crabs are seldom noticed by most people. But if you can slow down enough to observe them, you will be amazed at their design and behavior. When I was painting this fiddler crab art, I was reminded of my childhood, when I discovered fiddlers on Florida’s beaches, salt marshes and tidal mud flats. Each crab has a unique color and pattern, often a beautiful mix of pinks and lavenders. These little crabs are not totally happy on dry land—and too much water can drown them—so they are linked to the rise and fall of the tide.
Males have a giant claw, and the name “fiddler” comes from the appearance of playing the big claw like a fiddle. But this huge claw is not musical; it’s actually a jousting tool and chick magnet, which is proudly waved about in a complex courtship display. Biologists have noticed that the female selects her male by the speed and stamina linked to this claw-waving display. It takes a good man to father thousands of eggs.
My set of three original fiddler crab fine art paintings are 20 x 20 inches; each canvas depicts a different crab, foraging among the sand and shells. Some of my paintings are also available as limited edition reproductions. Thanks for your interest in my work, and I hope you enjoy the beauty of Florida’s wildlife.