Top 10 largest crabs in the world. How big is the largest crab?

There is an endless stream of people who like to taste seafood, and crab is often their first choice. Crabs also occupy an important position in Chinese food culture, and various types of crabs have become frequent guests on the dining tables of food lovers. So, do you know what the largest crab in the world is? The following is an introduction to the ten largest crabs in the world, including giant claw crab, giant shore crab, Alaskan king crab, coconut crab, blue crab serrata, common zodiac crab, etc. Let us learn more about them together.

1. Giant crab (average weight: 20 kilograms)

The largest crab in the world is the giant crab. Macrocheira kaempferi (scientific name: Macrocheira kaempferi), also known as Japanese spider crab, giant spider crab, tall crab, killer crab, etc., is the largest crustacean existing on the earth, and it is also a short-tailed spider of the decapod order The only species in the crab family. These huge creatures are covered in dark orange shells, covered with white spots, and have ten long limbs. Its front two limbs have developed into huge chelae. The largest individual chela is 4.2 meters long when unfolded. The body length can reach 38 centimeters, weighs 20 kilograms, and has a lifespan of up to 100 years. Giant crabs inhabit the deep sea of the Pacific Ocean from Iwate Prefecture, Japan to the northeast corner of Taiwan, and feed on sharks, hagfish, other crabs, and various fish. Like many crabs, giant crabs also have scavenging habits, so they are sometimes nicknamed "corpse-eating crabs."

2. Giant shore crab (heaviest over 13.5 kg)

The giant shore crab, also known as the king crab, the Australian king crab, and the Tasmanian sea monster crab, belongs to the family Brachypodidae. It is one of the largest crabs in the world. The adult extra-large imitation crab has a body width of 41 centimeters and a weight of more than 13.5 kilograms. These spectacular creatures have red and white shells, fan-shaped carapace, and unusually thick claws and legs. It is known as the "King of Crabs" because of its large size and delicious meat. They inhabit the continental shelf waters of southern Australia and prefer water temperatures between 12 and 14°C, believing this to be the most suitable temperature. Usually active at night, but also active during the day depending on the tides. They feed mainly on slow-moving snails, starfish, hermit crabs and even dead fish, which contrasts sharply with their large appearance.

3. Alaskan King Crab (average weight 10 kg)

Alaskan king crab, also known as king crab, stone crab, rock crab, scientific name is Kamchatka stone crab. It belongs to the family Stone Crab of the order Decapoda. It looks similar to a crab, but strictly speaking it is not an orthodox crab and is closer to a hermit crab. . This kind of king crab is a deep-sea crab that mainly inhabits cold sea areas. It usually weighs about 10 kilograms and can reach 1.8 meters when its legs are spread out. It has strong long legs, so it is one of the few crabs that can both crawl horizontally and walk vertically. It ranks among the top three largest crabs in the world. Due to its large size and delicious meat, it is widely caught as a delicacy, so it is often found in the frozen section of large supermarkets.

4. Coconut crab (up to 8 kg)

One of the largest crabs in the world is the coconut crab. In addition to giant crabs such as spider crabs, king crabs, and king crabs, coconut crabs are also among them. The coconut crab is a hermit crab with a hard shell and two powerful claws. It is good at climbing tall coconut trees and is named after eating the coconut fruits. One of the largest crabs on Earth, the coconut crab is not only the largest land crab but also one of the largest land arthropods. Typically individuals can grow up to 1 meter in length and weigh up to 8 kilograms. These crabs primarily inhabit the coastal margins of tropical forests, and their range extends throughout the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

5. Scylla serrata (up to 3 kg)

China's blue crab is one of the most highly regarded species in marine aquaculture and one of the top ten famous crabs in my country. There are four main types of blue crabs, and among these types of blue crabs, the largest is the Scylla serrata. Scylla serrata, also known as yellow-armored crab and green crab, has the most majestic body among the blue crabs and is also one of the most expensive species. Its carapace width is generally up to 20 cm, and its weight is about 1.5 kg; while the largest individual's carapace width can even reach 28 cm, and its weight reaches 3 kg. Once cooked, the entire body of Scylla serrata will turn a striking red, so it is also called red crab [xún]. The two claws of Scylla serrata are asymmetrical, and the feet have obvious net-like patterns. Such characteristics are very rare, and local fishermen commonly call them flower-footed crabs.

6. Common zodiac crab (up to 3 kg)

One of the largest crabs in the world is the common zodiac crab. The common zodiac crab, commonly known as the bread crab, has a reddish-brown shell and an oval shape, like a piece of walking bread. This is one of the three giants among the zodiac crab species. It is huge in size, with the shell width usually around 15 cm, and the largest individual can reach 25 cm, and the heaviest one can reach 3 kg. Female crabs are usually larger than males. Common zodiac crabs are widely distributed, mainly inhabiting the North Sea, North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, and especially flourish in the Northeast Atlantic. These crabs are primarily nocturnal and feed primarily on benthic animals, such as crustaceans and molluscs. In the market, common bread crabs are mainly produced in Scotland and Ireland, so they are often called "British bread crabs" or "Irish golden crabs".

7. Snow crab (up to 2.5 kg)

Snow crab, also known as cobbler crab (in the United States), queen crab (in Canada and Europe), and its scientific name is gray-eyed snow crab. This crab mainly lives in the North Atlantic and North Pacific waters, usually in areas with lower water temperatures. Snow crabs are known for their large size, long legs and meaty flesh. The common snow crabs currently on the market are mainly divided into gray-eyed snow crabs and red-eyed snow crabs. In general, how much does the largest of the two snow crab species weigh? The weight of gray-eyed snow crab generally ranges from 0.7 to 1.1 kilograms; while the weight of red-eyed snow crab usually ranges from 1.4 to 2.5 kilograms. Among the two types of snow crab, the gray-eyed snow crab has the largest global catch and the widest distribution range, so its popularity and commercial value are also the highest.

8. Chief Zodiac Crab (up to 1.5kg)

The Chief Zodiac Crab is also one of the three giants among the Zodiac Crab species, ranking eighth on the list of the world's largest crabs. The zodiac crab is also known as Dungeness crab or Dungeness crab. It is named after the old town of Dungeness in Washington State, USA. Canadians call it Vancouver crab, and it is also commonly known as Dungeness crab in China. This crab is one of the largest and most commercially valuable in the world. Only male crabs are allowed to be fished for Dungeness crabs, also known as prince crabs. Male crabs have a V-shaped abdominal cover. The carapace width is usually about 16 to 20 centimeters, and the heaviest can even reach 1.5 kilograms.

9. Portunus trituberculatus (up to 1 kg)

Portunus crab, also known as gun crab, sea crab or white crab, its biological name is Portunus trituberculatus. It mainly inhabits sea areas with a water depth of 10-50 meters. The most densely populated areas are usually in sandy bottom waters with a water depth of 10-30 meters. . Their distribution range covers Japan, Korea, the Malay Archipelago, the Red Sea and the coastal areas of China. Portunus trituberculatus is not only an important economic crab in China's coastal areas, but also one of the best-selling products in China's export market because of its rich, plump and delicious meat and extremely high nutritional value. Swimming crabs are huge, generally up to 20 centimeters in width and 0.4 kilograms in weight. The heaviest crabs can even reach 1 kilogram. They are one of the largest crab species in China.

10. Christmas Island red crab (up to 0.48 kg)

The red crab, also known as land red crab, red land crab or Australian red crab, is a land crab unique to Christmas Island and Cocoa Island in the Indian Ocean and is managed by the Australian government. The back shell of these red crabs is black, while the belly and limbs are shining red, just like grilled lobsters. Typically, their carapace can reach up to 11.6 cm, weigh between 0.415 and 0.48 kg, and have closed gills. Every year during the breeding season, spectacular migrations of red land crabs are staged on several small islands in Australia. To protect these red crabs, the local government has built wildlife passages specifically for their migration, and even closed roads and railways during peak migration periods to ensure their safe passage.

These crab species stand out for their enormous length and weight, as well as their popularity among the public and online attention. However, the size and weight of crabs can vary according to different standards and measurement methods, so the list is still controversial and everyone is welcome to discuss this.

animal tags： crab