The Crabs Aren't Dead • Ucluelet Aquarium | 水產百科網

2019年8月22日—Likeasnakesheddingitsskin,orakidneedinglargerclothes,crabs,prawns,barnaclesandallothercrustaceansneedtoshedtheirhard ...

A general google image search of “Crabs on Tofino Beach” will result in a series of photos with tragic and concerning captions. No need to google it yourself, here’s what they say: “tons of dead crabs on Long Beach!” or, “dead crabs all over the beaches here,” or my personal favourite: “Cox covered in crabs.”

Well, the crabs aren’t dead folks, so save your heartbreak for the real victims out there. More likely the carnage of claws, legs, and carapaces (the top part of the crab shell) are the empty shells of crabs, called molts or exuvia.

Like a snake shedding its skin, or a kid needing larger clothes, crabs, prawns, barnacles and all other crustaceans need to shed their hard outer layers in order to grow. This process is called molting. Crabs will shed the shell on their backs, their legs, and even the coverings on their eyes, and gills. Here’s how it works:

Ste...