Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) (Greek: βραχύς, romanized: brachys = short, οὐρά / οura = tail), usually entirely hidden under the thorax. They live in all the world's oceans, in fresh water, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton and have a single pair of pincers. Many other animals with similar names – such as hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, horseshoe crabs, and crab lice – are not true crabs. Learn more about Crab
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Crab Species Videos
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Common Name | Scientific Name | Conservation Status |
Anemone Hermit Crab (52 videos) | Dardanus pedunculatus | Not Available |
Arrowhead Crab (13 videos) | Huenia heraldica | Not Available |
Atlantic Ghost Crab (9 videos) | Ocypode quadrata | Not Available |
Atlantic Rock Crab (1 videos) | Cancer irroratus | Not Available |
Batwing Coral Crab (1 videos) | Carpilius corallinus | Not Available |
Blue Crab (6 videos) | Callinectes sapidus | Not Available |
Blue Knee Hermit Crab (2 videos) | Dardanus guttatus | Not Available |
Blunt Decorator Crab (16 videos) | Camposcia retusa | Not Available |
Brown Box Crab (1 videos) | Lopholithodes foraminatus | Not Available |
Bull Hydroid Crab (10 videos) | Naxioides taurus | Not Available |
Channel Clinging Crab (7 videos) | Mithrax spinosissimus | Not Available |
Coconut Crab (38 videos) | Birgus latro | Not Available |
Common Shore Crab (4 videos) | Carcinus maenas | Not Available |
Convex Crab (12 videos) | Carpilius convexus | Not Available |
Corallimorph Decorator Crab (11 videos) | Cyclocoeloma tuberculata | Not Available |
Dark Knee Hermit Crab (25 videos) | Dardanus lagopodes | Not Available |
De Haan's Sponge Crab (12 videos) | Lauridromia dehaani | Not Available |
Dungeness Crab (49 videos) | Metacarcinus magister | Not Available |
Electric Blue Hermit Crab (4 videos) | Calcinus elegans | Not Available |
Elegant Crinoid Crab (1 videos) | Harrovia elegans | Not Available |
Flame Box Crab (1 videos) | Calappa flammea | Not Available |
Flat Rock Crab (11 videos) | Percnon planissimum | Not Available |
Gaimard's Hermit Crab (7 videos) | Calcinus gaimardii | Not Available |
Ghost Crab (88 videos) | Upogebia macginitieorum | Not Available |
Giant Box Crab (31 videos) | Calappa calappa | Not Available |
Giant Hermit Crab (13 videos) | Petrochirus diogenes | Not Available |
Hairy Hermit Crab (33 videos) | Pagurus hirtimanus | Not Available |
Hairy Netted Hermit Crab (3 videos) | Aniculus retipes | Not Available |
Hairy Red Hermit Crab (25 videos) | Aniculus erythraeus | Not Available |
Hairy Yellow Hermit Crab (23 videos) | Aniculus maximus | Not Available |
Halloween Hermit Crab (4 videos) | Ciliopagurus strigatus | Not Available |
Harlequin Swimming Crab (20 videos) | Lissocarcinus laevis | Not Available |
Helmet Crab (260 videos) | Telmessus cheiragonus | Not Available |
Horned Crinoid Crab (1 videos) | Ceratocarcinus longimanus | Not Available |
Horned Ghost Crab (30 videos) | Ocypode ceratophthalma | Not Available |
Horrid Elbow Crab (4 videos) | Daldorfia horrida | Not Available |
Horseshoe Crab (797 videos) | Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda | Not Available |
Jonah Crab (1 videos) | Cancer borealis | Not Available |
Land Hermit Crab (5 videos) | Coenobita perlatus | Not Available |
Long-armed Hermit Crab (15 videos) | Pagurus longicarpus | Not Available |
Long-eyed Box Crab (3 videos) | Calappa hepatica | Not Available |
Longhorn Decorator Crab (2 videos) | Chorilia longipes | Not Available |
Morgan's Hermit Crab (7 videos) | Calcinus morgani | Not Available |
Moss Crab (7 videos) | Loxorhynchus crispatus | Not Available |
Mottled Lightfoot Crab (5 videos) | Grapsus albolineatus | Not Available |
Nimble Spray Crab (18 videos) | Percnon gibbesi | Not Available |
Northern Kelp Crab (7 videos) | Pugettia producta | Not Available |
Norway King Crab (22 videos) | Lithodes maja | Not Available |
Orangutang Crab (64 videos) | Achaeus japonicus | Not Available |
Ornamental Spider Crab (8 videos) | Schizophrys aspera | Not Available |
Pelagic Red Crab (76 videos) | Pleuroncodes planipes | Not Available |
Pom Pom Crab (10 videos) | Lybia tessellata | Not Available |
Pom-pom Crab (10 videos) | Lybia edmondsoni | Not Available |
Puget Sound King Crab (3 videos) | Lopholithodes mandtii | Not Available |
Rear-spined Elbow Crab (2 videos) | Aulacolambrus hoplonotus | Not Available |
Red Frog Spanner Crab (1 videos) | Ranina ranina | Not Available |
Red Hermit Crab (72 videos) | Dardanus calidus | Not Available |
Red King Crab (2 videos) | Paralithodes camtschaticus | Not Available |
Red Rock Crab (5 videos) | Cancer productus | Not Available |
Red Round Crab (1 videos) | Neoliomera insularis | Not Available |
Red-spotted Guard Crab (5 videos) | Trapezia tigrina | Not Available |
Rough Box Crab (1 videos) | Calappa gallus | Not Available |
Rust-spotted Guard Crab (8 videos) | Trapezia rufopunctata | Not Available |
Sally Lightfoot Crab (65 videos) | Grapsus grapsus | Not Available |
Sea Cucumber Swimming Crab (10 videos) | Lissocarcinus orbicularis | Not Available |
Sentinel Crab (1 videos) | Podophthalmus vigil | Not Available |
Sheep Crab (55 videos) | Loxorhynchus grandis | Not Available |
Sleepy Sponge Crab (23 videos) | Dromia dormia | Not Available |
Soft Coral Crab (31 videos) | Hoplophrys oatesi | Not Available |
Soft Coral Porcelain Crab (2 videos) | Lissoporcellana nakasonei | Not Available |
Spider Crab (163 videos) | Loxorhynchus guinotae | Not Available |
Splendid Pebble Crab (25 videos) | Etisus splendidus | Not Available |
Sponge Porcelain Crab (4 videos) | Pachycheles holosericus | Not Available |
Spotted Box Crab (13 videos) | Calappa philargius | Not Available |
Spotted Porcelain Crab (79 videos) | Neopetrolisthes maculatus | Not Available |
Spotted Reef Crab (3 videos) | Carpilius maculatus | Not Available |
Strawberry Crab (1 videos) | Neoliomera pubescens | Not Available |
Striped Coral Hermit Crab (1 videos) | Paguritta vittata | Not Available |
Striped Shore Crab (14 videos) | Pachygrapsus crassipes | Not Available |
Swimming Crab (64 videos) | Callinectes toxotes | Not Available |
Thorny Crinoid Crab (1 videos) | Tiaramedon spinosum | Not Available |
Three-lobed Porcelain Crab (1 videos) | Porcellanella triloba | Not Available |
Tiny Hermit Crab (6 videos) | Pagurixus rubrovittatus | Not Available |
Urchin Carry Crab (4 videos) | Dorippe frascone | Not Available |
White-spotted Hermit Crab (44 videos) | Dardanus megistos | Not Available |
Wire Coral Crab (1 videos) | Xenocarcinus tuberculatus | Not Available |
Yellow-spotted Guard Crab (4 videos) | Trapezia flavopunctata | Not Available |
Yellowline Arrow Crab (36 videos) | Stenorhynchus seticornis | Not Available |
Zebra Urchin Crab (18 videos) | Zebrida adamsii | Not Available |