Sea Animals Charm Page
Crabs
Crabs first appeared on the Earth about 200 million years ago. The collective name for the group of crabs is a cast. There are over 4500 species of crabs and most of them live in the coastal areas of salty, fresh or brackish water (mix of fresh and salty water). Crabs live along coastlines in cracks and under plants in tide pools, or in burrows in sand. When a crab grows too big for its shell, the shell splits and the crab climbs out of it. The crab then grows a new shell. Crabs walk and swim sideways. They breathe with the help of gills and communicate by producing drumming and flapping sounds by using their claws and pincers. Crabs have 10 legs, however, the first pair are its claws which are called chelae. A crab's shell matches the colour of the rocks, plants or sand where it lives.
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