Watch Out for Those Crabs!

byKatie Bagli

Crabs have an outer shell of calcium carbonate (the same stuff marble is made of) and along with lobsters, shrimps and barnacles, they are grouped as crustaceans. They are found on land too, making their appearance during the monsoons. Most crabs are scavengers, living off detritus. Some eat worms, mussels and snails and others feed on aquatic plants. Crabs, in turn, are eaten by fish, turtles and octopuses. Thus they form an important link in the food chain.

Each of the 4,500 species of crabs the world over has its own amusing story to tell. The largest is the spider crab, whose claws span a phenomenal 12ft, and the tiniest is the pea crab, barely a few millimetres long. Let’s read a few crab stories. Porcelain Crabs: Porcelain crabs are not