Crab XXL (Slipper crab) set up in Vietnam (BEST SELLER)

Although we will pack the crabs extra good, they remain fragile. Send therefore at your own risk.

Crabs (Brachyura) are a group of crustacean animals belonging to the order decapods (Decapoda). The scientific name literally means Brachyura short tail and refers to it under the plastron folded abdomen, causing scratching unlike other crustaceans have no visible tail. Crabs are also called kortstaartigen or short tail lobsters because of their reduced abdomen. The underside of a crab is actually its tail and this is a major difference from all other crustaceans. Crabs are further characterized by a flattened body which is wider than it is long, and is surrounded by a carapace, the eyes that are clearly indicated on the stalks and to the gripping claws converted front pair of legs. Other notable features are the lateral mode of locomotion and the ability to rapidly dig in. Most crabs live in the sea and are found from the deep sea to the intertidal zone. A number of species have left the sea and has adapted to life in freshwater. Some species are found mainly on land, usually in moist forests. For reproduction, crabs, however, dependent on surface water. Many species do not have to migrate to the sea each year live in the sea to deposit the eggs. The larvae of crabs are microscopic and live as plankton in the open sea, the adult crabs live almost always on the seabed. There are about 8600 described species, which occur distributed throughout the world. In Belgium and the Netherlands are 38 known species that are native or more are found sporadically, see the list of crabs in Belgium and the Netherlands.

 
Crabs

Crabs are like all crustaceans a segmented body and legs. The physique of crabs is characteristic because the body is broad and flat and abdomen seems to be missing. Crabs are by their different body shape even in a different way measured in comparison with other animals; not the length from head to tail is used as a measure, but the width of the carapace. Most of the crabs are medium-sized, approximately 5 to 15 centimeters. Many varieties are smaller and other species can be quite large. Giant Crabs are in terms of carapace length often no bigger than the edible crab (40 centimeters), but the massive, long-legged spider-like legs make the animals look frightful. The shears are often very powerful. The biggest is the Japanese giant crab or spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi), which occurs in the Pacific Ocean around Japan to depths of 300 meters. The crabs have achieved a carapace width of about 35 centimeters but by the huge paws span can amount to about four meters and a height at the withers' half meter. The smallest crabs belong to the pea crabs (Pinnotheridae), they are about one and a half centimeters long. Also, the nagelkrabje (Thia scutellata, family Thiidae) is a minor species that reaches a carapaxlengte of up to 22 millimeters. When crabs males are on average slightly larger than the females. Crabs can have a variety of colors, so there are species that are entirely white, but also black species occur. Some species have bright colors such as red, blue and purple. One example is the South American species Grapsus grapsus, which has a blue body with a yellow top and bright red legs. However, most crabs are well camouflaged and have a color that makes them disappear against the background of the natural habitat. Many crabs are sand-colored, or have round spots so they are difficult to see against a gravelly soil in which they live.