I


still remember one of my first crab hunts.


My team and I were on an island in the South Pacific Ocean. T e lights from our headlamps lit the dark night. Our beams crisscrossed the sandy beach as we searched for any movement. “Over here!” one team member called out.


“It’s a huge one!” My jaw dropped. T ere, in the sea grass, was the biggest, maddest crab I’d ever seen. Until then, I’d mostly seen crabs on my dinner plate. T is spiny mud crab was the size of that plate. It was also very much alive. Sharp spines stuck out from its shell. Its eyes


poked up from its head like antennae. T ey swiveled, keeping us in sight. Its claws were big, sharp, and strong enough to cut off a finger. We wanted to collect and study the crab.


Each time we tried to grab it, though, the crab snapped its pincers at us. Finally, we pinned it to the ground. T en we shoved it into a plastic bag and dumped it in a bucket. No pinched fingers—at least, not then. Aſt er we filled the bucket with lots of crabs,


we headed to the lab. As we sorted crabs, I heard a scream. T e giant crab had grabbed someone’s finger. It took pliers to pry the crab off . T at team member was lucky. T e wound took weeks to heal, but he didn’t lose his finger.


A land crab stands in a defensive pose when it feels threatened.


Built to Survive Believe it or not, the crab attack didn’t scare me off . Just the opposite. Seeing the crab in action was amazing. I realized it was just using its pincers to survive in a new environment. T at’s what crabs do. In fact, they’re experts at it. T ese crustaceans have existed for millions


of years. T ey are part of a group of animals that includes shrimps, lobsters, and even barnacles. Over time, crabs have developed large pincers and other unique body parts that have helped them become super survivors. Now, we know of as many as 7,000 species of crab, and we’re still finding new species. I should know. I’m a biologist who studies crabs.


Finding Crabs A perfect day for me is scrambling through shallow water at low tide. I flip over rocks to find crabs and other creatures hiding under them. I don’t even mind a small pinch if it means a chance to observe a crab up close. Most crabs live in the sea. Some swim in


fresh water. About 25 percent live mostly on land. From the tiny pea crab to the giant Japanese spider crab, though, they all share a similar body plan. T eir anatomy lets them thrive wherever they live.


4


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24