To listen to this article, please select Control + Shift + Z to launch the pop-up player.

Browser out-of-date!

You are using an out-of-date web browser, to avoid problems when using A-Z Animals and other sites we strongly recommend you upgrade to the latest version of your web browser!

A-Z Animals - Animal Facts, Images and Resources

Animals >>

Crab

Add to Phobia Filter

Contribute

Listen

Caribbean hermit crab (coenobita clypeatus)

Freshwater crab (Potamon potamios), Jordan river, Israel

Japanese spider crab at Manila Ocean Park

The crab is a type of crustacean similar to prawns, shrimp and lobster. There are more than 6,700 known species of crab found in waters worldwide and these many crab species are split into around 93 different crab groups.

Most crab species are found in the shallower ocean waters where the crabs tend to inhabit rocky pools and coral reefs. There are however, a number of species of freshwater crab that inhabit the waters in rivers and lakes and some species of tropical crab have been known to spend a great deal of time on land.

Generally crabs dont get bigger than 40 cm in size, with the exception of the Japanese spider crab that has been known to have a leg span of over 4 meters long! The smallest type crab is the pea crab with this tiny species of crab only growing to a few millimeters.

Crabs have a thick armoured shell which protects the crab from immediate danger. The crab also has two front armoured claws which the crab uses to catch its prey.

The crabs hunt by sitting in a dark hole and catching potential prey that swims past. This allows the crab to feed effectively as well as staying hidden from those that would want to eat the crab.

Crab Comments (5)

sara

"I think this website is awesome :-) :-) "

selena gomez

"amazing website! You ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Julie

"this site is so amazing is has basically everything, I think this site will be helpfull to anybody and any age"

Showing 3 of 5 comments.

Show More Comments

Post Comment

Crab Translations

	Català Cranc
	Cesky Krabi
	Dansk Krabbe
	Deutsch Krabben
	English Crab
	Esperanto Krabo
	Español Brachyura

	Eesti Krabilised
	Suomi Taskuravut
	Français Brachyura
	Galego Cangrexo
	Hrvatski Rakovi
	Bahasa Indonesia Kepiting
	Italiano Brachyura

	日本語カニ
	Latina Cancer
	Bahasa Melayu Ketam
	Nederlands Krabben
	Norsk Krabber
	Polski Kraby
	Português Caranguejo

	Româna Crab
	Slovenščina Rakovice
	Svenska Krabbor
	Türkçe Yengeç
	Tiếng Việt Cận bộ Cua
	中文螃蟹

Article Tools

	Print Article View printer friendly version of Crab article.
	Listen to Article Listen to audio version of Crab article. Hot key: + +

Crab Facts

Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things...	Animalia
Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom...	Arthropoda
Class: A group of animals within a pylum...	Crustacea
Order: A group of animals within a class...	Decapoda
Family: A group of animals within an order...	Brachyura

Scientific Name: Comprised of the genus followed by the species...	Brachyura
Type: The animal group that the species belongs to...	Arthropod
Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats...	Carnivore
Size (L): How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is...	1cm - 400cm (0.4in - 157in)
Weight: The measurement of how heavy the animal is...	100g - 2,000g (3.5oz - 704oz)
Top Speed: The fastest recorded speed of the animal...	19km/h (12mph)
Life Span: How long the animal lives for...	1 - 100 years
Lifestyle: Whether the animal is solitary or sociable...	Solitary
Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct...	Threatened

Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings...	Red, Brown, Orange, Blue
Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal...	Shell
Favourite Food:	Shrimp
Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives...	Coral reefs and coastline
Average Litter Size: The average number of babies born at once...	2
Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from...	Shrimp, Fish, Mussels
Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal...	Birds, Otter, Octopus
Distinctive Features: Characteristics unique to the animal...	Hard, armoured shell and eight legs

Related Animals

	Shrimp There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
	King Crab Can have a leg span of nearly 2 meters!
	Lobster Have been known to reach 100 years old!
	Prawn Closely related to crabs and lobsters!
	Hermit Crab There are over 500 different species!
	Barnacle Closely related to crabs and lobsters!