Freakiest and Weirdest Crabs in the World

See some of the world's most unique and bizarre crabs.

1. Paralomis hystrix

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This species of king crab that lives at a depth of 180 to 400 m in Tokyo Bay and through Kyushu is called Paralomis

hystrix. This weird-looking crab has few predators because of its small size and spiky carapace

2. Lyreidus tridentatus

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This uniquely-shape species of crab belongs to Raninidae, a family of unusual crabs named for their frog-like

appearance. This animal closely resembles the unrelated mole crabs.

3. Spiny King Crab

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Another thorny species of crab that has peculiar appearance is the Spiny King Crab. It is also called Stone Crab

and usually inhabits cold seas. Many species of king crabs are widely caught and sold as food because of their

large size and the taste of their flesh.

4. Yellowline Arrow Crab

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This bizarre species is scientifically named Stenorhynchus seticornis and commonly known as Yellowline Arrow

Crab or simply Arrow Crab. It is a saltwater crab that resembles a Harvestman or Daddy long-legs and may grow to

a length of about 15 cm or 6 in. It may be found in the wild on the tropical and subtropical Atlantic coasts of North and

South America.

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This crab moves surprisingly quickly for its ungainly appearance and uses its muscular legs to defend themselves

against predators. The crab's eight spider-like walking legs may be three times as long as its body. This crab is colorful.

5. Japanese Spider Crab

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You'll surely get scared one you encountetred this pecies of crab called Japanese Spider Crab or Macrocheira kaempferi. It is the world's largest known arthropod. Its leg span can reach as much as 4 m or 13 ft and its body size of up to 37 cm or

15 inches and a weight of up to 20 kg orv44 lb.

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It inhabits the bottom of the Pacific Ocean (some 300 to 400 m deep) around Japan. It is said to have a life expectancy

of up to 100 years.

6. Lightblue Soldier Crab

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This crab with an unusual look belongs to Mictyris, a genus of brightly colored crabs. It inhabits the central Indo-West

Pacific region. They congregate during low tide, and bury themselves in the sand during high tide or whenever they

are threatened. This is done in wet sand, and they dig in a corkscrew pattern.

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7. Lithodes maja

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Most species of king crabs are weird in appearance like the Lithodes maja, a species which occurs in the colder

waters of Europe and North America. The whole body is brown or orange and is covered with large spikes. It lives

on both soft and hard bottoms, from a few meters below the surface to around 800 m depth.

8. New Zealand Half Crab

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The peculiar New Zealand Half Crab or Petrolisthes elongatus is a crab found around New Zealand and the east

coast of Tasmania. It is a scavenger. Its claws are large in comparison to its fairly small body. Coloration is green-

blue. It is not a true crab. It only has three pairs of walking legs as opposed to most other crabs which have four.

The half crab has one pair of legs which are called cleaning legs, not used for walking but for cleaning.

9. Hawaiian Pompom Crabs

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Another unique species of crab is the Boxer Crab which is also known as the "Pom-Pom Crab". It is notable for

its mutualism with sea anemone, which it holds in its claws for defense. In return the anemones find new places

to eat and mate.

10. Chilean Centolla

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Lithodes santolla which is also known as the Southern King Crab is unique not only for its bright color but because

of its spiky appearance.

11. Sponge Crab (Dromia personata)

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This species is unique because its body and legs are covered with hairs giving the crab a furry appearance. The body

of this crab is often covered by an encrusting sponge, but is recognized by its distinctive pink pincers and the very small

fourth and fifth legs.

12 . Red King Crab

Image Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralithodes_camtschaticus

This large species is commonly called Red King Crab or Paralithodes camtschaticus. It is the most coveted of the

commercially sold king crab species, and is the most expensive per unit weight. A Red King Crab can be very large,

sometimes reaching a carapace width of 11 in (28 cm) and a leg span of 6 ft (1.8 m). It is most commonly caught in

the Bering Sea and Norton Sound, Alaska, and is particularly difficult to catch, but is nonetheless one of the most

preferred crabs for consumption and considered to be tastier than lobster.

13. Tasmanian Giant Crab

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This crab is one of the largest in the world and scientifically known as Pseudocarcinus gigas. It is sometimes known

as the Giant Deepwater Crab, Giant Southern Crab and Queen Crab, is a species of crab that occurs in the southern

waters of Australia. This species usually reach a mass of 13 kg and a carapace width of up to 46 cm.

14. European Spider Crab

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Maja squinado is the scientific name of this crab which is also called Spiny Spider Crab or Spinous Spider Crab. It is

a migratory crab found in the north-east Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Migrations generally take place in autumn,

with some crabs covering over 100 miles (160 km) in eight months. It is the subject of commercial fishery, with over

5,000 tons caught annually.

15. Warty Crab

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The weird-looking Eriphia verrucosa, sometimes called the Yellow Crab is found in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea

and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

16.Lopholithodes mandtii

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This peculiar crab is scientifically named Lipholithodes mandtii.

17. Coconut Crab

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Some Coconut Crabs are colorful and some looks bizarre like the one on the picture above. The Coconut Crab or

Birgus latro is the largest land-living arthropod in the world.

18. Horseshoe Crab

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The Horseshoe Crab or Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, scientifically named Limulus polyphemus, is not a true crab and

is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. This species is most commonly found in the

Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!

For a related articles on crab see

The World's Most Colorful Crabs

For more bizarre animals see

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Weirdest and Bizarre Reptiles in the World

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