Equipped with pincers, the Singapore freshwater crabs play an integral shredder role in fragmenting leaf litter and small animal carcasses into smaller parts. By breaking up leaf and animal matter into smaller pieces, it quickens decomposition into mineral nutrients in the freshwater stream ecosystem. This exchange and circulation of organic and inorganic materials allows nutrients to be taken up to produce and sustain living matter (e.g. plants). Hence, this supporting service of efficient nutrient recycling outlines a critical component for a proper and optimal functioning of the hill streams.