you guys are confused
you guys are confusing sand fleas, which are those tiny whitish grey jumping thingies that hang around seaweed clumps on the beach and mole crabs (atlantic sand crabs) which are those beetle looking 1" long beige/grey crabs that burrow into the sand.
FOR THE RECORD:
Atlantic Mole Crab
Emerita talpoida
Description 1" (25 mm) long, 3/4" (19 mm) wide. Egg-shaped. Pale grayish-tan. Carapace convex, crosswise-creased line immediately behind beak, another curved one farther back; rear end of carapace smooth. 1st pair of antennae hairy; 2nd pair of antennae long, feathery, usually concealed under edge of carapace. Eyestalks long, slender. 1st pair of walking legs broad, sturdy, without pincers; 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pair less sturdy, leaflike; 5th pair very slender. Abdomen broad at front, tapering rapidly, with pair of forked, leaflike appendages, and long, spearhead-shaped tailpiece on last segment, bent forward underneath body.
Habitat On open sandy beaches; between high- and low-tide lines.
Range Cape Cod to Florida and Texas; Mexico.
Discussion This species is commonly used for bait, and can be collected in large numbers by attaching a wire mesh net to a common garden rake, and then raking the wave-swept beach.