Ah, crabs... it all started when I learned about carcinization, and was absolutely enthralled by the idea. I was not alone in this - carcinization memes abound the internet. Below are a few of my favorites.
As you may know, carcinization is the process in which a non-crab-like crustacean evolves to become crab-like. This occurs because the crab-like form is very favorable in many enviroments that crustaceans are found in. People like to say that this means all species - including humans - will become crabs one day. This is not the case, obviously, but it does make for a very funny internet meme.
However, this is not where crabs stop being interesting. Because so many crustaceans keep evolving to be crab-like, carcinologists have to make the distinction between "true crabs" and crustaceans that just happen to look like crabs. Lots of things that aren't true crabs are still called crabs, though - the hermit crab, for one example, or the horshoe crab.
At some point last year I had the first section of the wikipedia page for crabs memorized... sadly I have lost this ability. My crab obsession fell off after I celebrated National Crab Day 2025 with a friend, but to this day I still love them. I have a blue crab necklace that I wear pretty much every day and I have a crab plushie named Crusty Shawn (pictured above). I also have a crab party drawing that my friend Peri drew for me (pictured to the left). One day I will crochet a giant crab plushie and it will be awesome, but sadly that day is not today.
FUN CRAB FACTS
- There are over 7,600 true crab species!
- Due to carcinization, there are five seperate crab-like crustacean lineages (meaning crabs evolved independently in nature five seperate times)!
- Crabs' eyes are on stalks that can move independently of one another!
- The scientific name for the Blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, translates to "beautiful swimmer"!
- The smallest crab in the world is the Pea crab (under 0.5 inches)!
- The largest crab in the world is the Japanese Spider crab (up to 4 meters)!
- Some crabs communicate by rubbing their legs together to make sounds!
- Horseshoe crabs glow under UV light!
