The fiddler crab, Leptuca thayeri, influence bacterial assemblages in the sediment surrounding the mangrove trees they inhabit by decreasing bacterial diversity through foraging. While foraging, these fiddler crabs divide out the individual sediment grains with their spoon-tipped setae. This division of sediment grain allows for the bioturbation of sediments which allows oxygen penetration at depth and remineralization of organic matter.
