Coconut crabs live on islands and coastal mainlands through the southwest Pacific and Indian oceans, but the largest remaining population is on Christmas Island – an offshore territory of Australia, in the Indian Ocean.
Also known as the coconut crab, the robber crab is the world's biggest land crustacean. It can weigh more than 4 kg and measure up to a metre across. Christmas Island has the world's largest and best protected population of these gentle giants, which can live to be more than 50 years old.
As one of the largest crabs in the world, many people want to know if they are edible. Like many other kinds of crabs, coconut crabs are not only edible but are considered a delicacy in the island nations.
Coconut crabs live on the coastlines of marine islands throughout the tropical western Indo-Pacific Ocean in places like Madagascar, Seychelles, and Easter Island. Within the National Marine Sanctuary System, we seem them on islands adjacent to National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.
Coconut crabs are found across the Indo-Pacific, from islands off the coast of Africa near Zanzibar to the Gambier Islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They are typically found in coastal forests with plenty of rock crevices and soil for digging burrows.
The coconut crab is eaten by the Pacific islanders, and is considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac, with a taste similar to lobster and crabmeat. The most prized parts are the eggs inside the female coconut crab and the fat in the abdomen.
Its large size and the quality of its meat means that the coconut crab is extensively hunted and is very rare on islands with a human population.
Niueans love the taste of uga, or coconut crab, and the very large, land-living arthropods are hunted across the island.
King Crab (also called Alaskan King Crab)
Measuring up to 10 feet and weighing in at up to 25 pounds, this type of crab has a delicate taste, boasting bright white meat bordered with a vibrant red edge.
The largest king crab on record weighed 24 pounds. The largest king crab on record weighed 24 lbs! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the record for the largest male red king crab is 24lbs with the largest female being 10.5lbs.
Seeing as coconut crabs have pincers that are some of the most powerful in the animal kingdom, they can be dangerous. That being said, they are generally afraid of humans and would rather keep their distance. Attacks on people are rare, but like most crabs, they can display aggressive behavior if they feel threatened.
SHOW RESPECT: Spider Crabs are considered inedible and are not to be touched or manhandled.
A “fluffy” crab discovered off the coast of Western Australia has been named after the ship that carried Charles Darwin around the world. The new species, Lamarckdromia beagle, belongs to the Dromiidae family, commonly known as sponge crabs.
These crabs are a native species and can be found in marine water across south eastern Australia, commonly in shallow waters but down to 820m deep. Giant spider crabs gather in huge groups at certain shallow water locations during winter each year.
Distribution, Population and Habitat. There are over 44 million Christmas Island red crabs on just two small islands. The Christmas Island red crab is found only on Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which are now owned by Australia.
Tasmanian giant crabs are quite edible and there's a small-scale fishery of these crabs in Tasmanian waters.
In terms of size, King crab legs—which we've always considered massive—having nothing on coconut crab legs. According to the Huffington Post, the coconut crab (also known as the robber crab) can grow to be three-feet-long, or larger than a small child.
Those who enjoy cooking and eating crab should simply take precautions not to eat the viscera, located under the crab's back, and avoid using whole crabs in soups and other dishes.
In 2019, the coconut crab population on Raja Ampat's Fam Islands numbered 12,000 individuals, according to Conservation International, but people are catching about 3,200 per year — meaning the crabs could disappear from the islands within just four years without conservation management.
Coconut crabs are generalist scavengers that feed on fallen fruit, carrion, and (to ingest calcium) the shells of other crabs. The coconut crab is known for its ability to use its massive pincers (chelae) to crack open coconuts.
Gorilla Crabs are large, hairy crabs with black tips on their claws. These crabs grow large and will try to prey on small fish and shrimp in the reef tank.
Coconut crabs are hunted extensively for food, which can be problematic due to their long lifespan and slow growth rate. They can live to be over 60 years old!
Spider crabs are pot caught, which means they're sustainable, and have a low impact on the seabed. Their white meat, particularly the claws, is deliciously flavourful and is perfect for sprucing up sandwiches, stirring into pastas, or as a pretty impressive centrepiece on your dinner table.