Populations of mud lobster
Thalassina anomala
were studied on tidal flats in theSagar island of Indian Sundarbans. Ecologically they are recognized as the 'friends of mangrove'and a 'Biological Marvel' of the system. They turn up the deep soil to the surface by regular nightshift burrowing exercise and help to import aerated tidal water in the burrows 2 to 2.5 meter deep.They have extra ordinary morphological adaptation and structural changes and completely resortto detritivore diet. Being thigmotactic it seldom exposes to atmospheric oxygen and forms its palaceunderground with a central chamber having 5 to 6 radiated tunnels opening to the surface coveredwith earth mounds. It displays its engineering skill of bioturbation in tunneling. During tunnelingthe shrimp feeds on the mud packed with detritus and derived its required micronutrients. Beingmud dwelling and mud eating habits, it's respiratory and food manipulating apparatus underwenttransformations which demands intensive investigation. Thalassinid burrow associates comprisingmieo and microorganisms also provide good subject of study of species specific interaction, exchangingof materials between associate partners