- Crabs are decapod crustaceans which have a very short tail and are covered with a thick shell, or exoskeleton and are armed with a single pair of claws.
- Crabs are invertebrates (animals without a backbone). Their exoskeleton protects them from predators and provides support for their bodies.
- They have flattened bodies, two feeler antennae, and two eyes located on the end of stalks, and they are 10-legged animals that walk sideways.
- There are about 6,793 species of crab found in all of the oceans around the world, in fresh water and there are also some terrestrial crabs (ones that live entirely on land). Many crabs live in the tropical regions.
- Crabs can be as small as the pea crab which is only a few millimeters wide to the Japanese spider crab which can have a leg span up to 4 meters (about 13 feet).
- Crabs have five pairs of legs (the first pair are known as the claws).
- Crabs are omnivores (eats both plants and animals) and some feed primarily on algae, others feed on mollusks, worms, crustaceans, fungi, bacteria, and organic non-living material.
- 1 million tons of crabs are being eaten annually in restaurants and homes all over the world.
- Marine crabs breathe underwater using gills. Land crabs have two cavities that act like lungs and allow them to breathe air.
- After they mate, the blue crab and others, deposit two million eggs and in a two week period the eggs will develop into larva.
Crab Facts
Crabs are decapod crustaceans which have a very short tail and are covered with a thick shell, or exoskeleton and are armed with a single pair of claws. There are over 6,793 species of crab spread across the oceans, fresh water, and even on land. More facts and information on crabs can be found below.
Download the Crab Worksheet
Download and use this worksheet in the classroom or at home to increase your students' Crab knowledge.
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