Crabs: Fascinating Facts

Crabs

• There are over 4,000 different species of crabs.

Types of Crabs

• Four widely known types of crabs are Dungeness crabs, blue crabs, king crabs, and snow crabs.
• People eat these types of crabs.

Dungeness Crabs

• Live in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of the U.S. from northern California up to Alaska.
• Carnivores, eating fish, other crabs, worms, squids, starfish, and snails.
• Hunt along the sea floor for animals partly covered by sand.
• Eat fish eggs and even other Dungeness crabs.

Blue Crabs

• Live in the Atlantic Ocean, along the entire east coast of the United States.
• Eat fish, plants, small crustaceans, fiddler crabs, and marsh periwinkles.
• Scavengers, eating dead animals on the sea floor.
• Eat other blue crabs.

King Crabs

• Live in very cold ocean water off the coasts of Alaska and Russia.
• Eat protozoa, tiny one-celled animals that live in the ocean water.
• As they grow, they eat larger sea creatures, including other crabs, worms, clams, mussels, snails, sea urchins, sponges, sand dollars, and barnacles.

Snow Crabs

• Live in very cold water, but not in the snow.
• Bottom-feeders, crawling along the ocean floor looking for food.
• Eat anything they can catch, including shrimp, brittle stars, sponges, worms, small fish, and small shelled creatures.

Hermit Crabs

• Live on land, not in the ocean.
• Often kept as pets.
• Omnivores, eating plants and animals.
• Eat fruit, leaves, plants, and grass.
• Eat things washed up on the beach, like rotting driftwood.
• As pets, can be fed fruit, vegetables, grass, unsalted nuts, rice cakes, and popcorn!