Chinese

Shih, H.-T., 2000. The creek warrior - the freshwater crab, pp. 114-119. In Lai, Y.-M. (ed.), "Vanishing Dancers". Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Republic of China, Taipei.

The Creek Warrior

The Freshwater Crab

　

Hsi-Te Shih

"Sai-hei-a" those unprepossessing freshwater crabs, are a common part of all our childhood memories. The freshwater crab has evolved into a landlocked species, spending all its life in freshwater, raising its generations. From the point when the zygote are hatched, they are carefully tended by the mother crabs, and need not float aimlessly around the busy sea for a long period of time. The species also does not need to migrate. Spending its life beside the clean gurgling waters, the tiny freshwater crab, with a body only a few centimeters across, plays an important role as a scavenger in the stream and forest ecosystem. They also are an indicator of water quality. Since their presence tells people whether water has become polluted or not. Their landlocked life history serves to protect the next generation and raise the proportion of young making it to adulthood, but is also makes them more at risk for extinction brought on by environmental degradation. If these crabs which formerly lived in all our memories disappear forever, won't we also lose something?