You might be thinking, "Cool, but why should I care?" Because this crab is living proof that our planet is still full of surprises.
King Crab Record Sheet
We think we know everything. Then a crab the size of a taxi shows up. It reminds us that the ocean is a weird, wild place.
Also, it’s just hilarious to imagine this thing scuttling across your kitchen floor. Good luck fitting that in a pot of boiling water.
The Runner-Up: A Coconut Crab
Don’t forget the coconut crab. It’s the largest land crab. One was found in 2017 on an island near Australia.
It had a leg span of 3 feet. That’s like a small dog. A very angry, claw-wielding dog.
These crabs are famous for climbing trees and cracking open coconuts. They also steal shiny objects. Like a raccoon with a bad attitude.
But the coconut crab is a lightweight compared to its deep-sea cousin. The Japanese spider crab is in a league of its own.
Here’s a quirky fact: these crabs have blue blood. Not because they’re royal—because of copper in their hemocyanin. That’s the crab version of hemoglobin.
Blue blood. Giant legs. Lives for a century. If this crab were a superhero, it would have a terrible name. "The Blue-Blooded Scavenger." I’d still read the comic.
