Facts About Crab

Crab is a creature that is found residing, alongside beaches, in almost all the countries of the world. It is omnivorous in nature and feeds on a diet comprising of algae, mollusks, worms, other crustaceans, fungi, bacteria and detritus, etc. Being crustaceans, of the infraorder Brachyura, crabs usually inhabit brackish water i.e. a mix of fresh and saline water. They greatly differ in size, depending upon the species, and go from being a few millimeters in size to having a leg span of up to 4 meters. There are a variety of crabs, the most common ones being the Cromer crab, blue crabs, snow crabs, spider crab, freshwater crabs, fiddler crabs, king crabs, hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs. Did you know that crabs displayed sexual dimorphism? Did you also know that crabs and other crustaceans can feel and remember pain, contrary to popular belief? If these facts have intrigued you and in case you want to know more about crabs, make use of the interesting and amazing information given below.

Fast Facts

Binomial Name: Callinectes sapidus

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Suborder: Pleocyemata

Infraorder: Brachyura

Smallest Species: Pea Crab

Largest Breed: Japanese Spider Crab

Diet: Omnivorous

Natural Habitat: Brackish water

Family: Crustaceans

Genus: Ocypodidae

Species: Freshwater, semi-terrestrial, terrestrial

Origins: Jurassic period

Height/Length: 1 ft.in height and 3 inches long

Lifespan: Average 3-4 years

Type: Cold blooded

Status: Endangered

Age of Maturity (females): 3

Age of Maturity (males): 5

Gestation Period: 1-2 weeks

Number of Offspring: 1000-2000 eggs

Interesting & Amazing Information On Crabs

The teeth of a crab are in its stomach.
The biggest crab till date was found in Maryland. It was a male and measured 9 inches.
After losing its claw, a crab can grow it back.
Crabs are also called decapods, since they have ten (deca) legs (pods). The first pair of legs is modified into claws, biologically known as chelae.
Crabs are crustaceans i.e. unlike most of the other animals; they do not have an endoskeleton. Rather, they have an exoskeleton that acts like a shied for their body.
Crabs are also arthropods i.e. they have segmented appendages, just like cockroach, butterfly, housefly, etc.
Unlike most of the other creatures, crabs do not have separate thorax and abdomen. Rather, in most of the crabs, they are joined together and known as cephalothoraxes.
The male crabs have narrow abdomens, while the female crabs have broader abdomens.
Japanese Spider Crab can have a walking leg span of 3 to 4 m, which can go to 8 m when outstretched.
Japanese Spider Crab is the oldest crab of the world and is also believed to be the most deep-living crab as well as the one with the longest lifespan.
Hermit Crabs, King Crabs, Horseshoe Crabs and Porcelain Crabs are not true crabs. This is because they are not decapods.
Fiddler Crabs have a single large claw on one side, which they can raise in an action that looks similar to that of a person waving.
The most colorful crab in the world is probably the Sally Lightfoot Crab. It has red, orange, yellow and white colors.
Crabs can live on land as long as they can keep their gills moist. This is probably one of the reasons you will spot crabs closer to the surf on the shore.
The species of crab that is consumed the most in the world is the Japanese Blue Crab or the Horse Crab.
Crabs are often boiled alive, and contrary to popular myth, both, crabs and lobsters can feel pain and usually remember this pain if they survive.
In most East Asian cultures, the roe, commonly known as the egg masses in ovaries, are also consumed, as they are believed to be excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Crabs are great communicators. They usually converse by drumming their claws or flapping their pincers.
Crabs are known to be team-workers. They work together to get food and also protect their families. During the mating season, male crabs look for a comfortable spot for the female crab to release her eggs.
Crabs walk and swim sideways.
You can determine the sex of the crab by looking underneath its shell. Females usually have a dome whereas the males have a phallic exterior.

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