Here’s the scary part. We’ve only explored about 20% of the ocean. What’s hiding in the other 80%?
There could be a crab bigger than your car down there. Right now, swimming around. And we’d never know until one washes up on a beach in Hawaii.
Scientists are still discovering new species of giant isopods. Those are like oversized pill bugs. If those exist, monster crabs probably do too.
So what’s the final answer?
If you want the biggest crab in history, it’s a toss-up. The Japanese spider crab holds the record for leg span. But the fossil record suggests some body sizes were even bigger.
One candidate is Proterocarcinus, a fossil crab from Argentina. Its shell was nearly 2 feet wide. Add legs, and you’re looking at a creature that could give you a hug. A deadly, crunchy hug.
Another is Korycarcinus, found in the Czech Republic. It lived in shallow seas 100 million years ago. And it was thick. Like, “I need a bigger aquarium” thick.
