NATURE TABLE EXPLORER

It is possible to identify common crabs by the shape of their claws. This is often the part of a crab, detached from its carapace that you discover.

Here is a brightly coloured claw we came across last week.

Here are some amazing facts about 🦀

Amazing Facts

• A group of crabs is called a ‘cast’.

• A Crab’s blood is blue due to the copper it contains.

• Crabs are covered in many tiny ‘hairs’ called setae, to detect chemicals, touch and movement.

This claw is from the European Spider Crab (Maja squinado)

This crab eats plant material but will also eat starfish and brittle stars. It also exhibits mass migration to deeper water probably as part of their breeding cycle and to escape predators.