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What even are crabs? Where did they come from? Do they have feelings? Why do they taste good? What's with the one giant claw? Why don't hermit crabs have shells? I'll be in person talking to one Adam Wall, a carcinologist, all about these arthopodidcic crustacean friends and we'll answer as many questions as we can. 

Per usual, let me know if I've never said your name before (with FTQA: first time question-asker) or if I keep saying it wrong!

Not crabby about this,

Alie VonDad

Comments

Adam Weaver

Will I too, one day, become a crab?

Kae Gatensby

I would love to know the ologist’s personal favourite crab and why

Winnie’s a Witch

am i right in thinking that crabs are kinda like sea spiders

Gemma

are crabs actually crabby

Amanda

Are horseshoe crabs really crabs?

Lindsay Thomas

Why is evolution trying to turn us all into crabs???

Red Cedar

thoughts on keeping crabs as pets?? i know hermit crabs are often kept in bad conditions but the idea of a pet crab is whimsical

Kayla

DID CRABS EAT AMELIA EARHART

Melanie Yakemovic 🦄

What’s the thing humans have most in common with crabs? Least in common?

Amanda

Thoughts on Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob?

Andy Guarnaccia

How long until humans evolve into crabs? But in all seriousness, why do so many marine animals evolve into crabs?

Kayla Pilcher

Is it true all creatures are evolving to crabs because they are perfect

Gemma

is the crab representation in animal crossing accurate

Nova Q

FTQA: Is crab eating sustainable?

Red Cedar

what are things beach goers can do to be more crab friendly? is it okay to handle shore crabs? (i love them so much, i have a shore crab tattoo)

mariia k

does it hurt if they chomp you with their claw???

Lily

Is it true that “everything wants to be crab!?” Evolutionarily speaking? My girlfriend keeps telling me this with no explanation and I need answers from an expert. Why does evolution look favorably upon crab?

Kristen Butler

I just want to hear more about the varied and different evolutions of crabs please! Why do animals keep becoming crabs?

Emily P

What is the biological advantage of walking sideways (laterally) rather than forwards/backward or even having multi-directional movement?

Kaelyn Iglesias

Ftqa why does everything evolve towards Crab

Gemma

yeti crabs???? how? why? what?

Lauren Seibert

How did they evolve to have such variance in claws?

Lizzy Martinez

How old do crabs get/what is their lifespan? My husband has seen the same little crab living in some rocks in Carlsbad, CA a few times and named it Bartholomew because the barnacles on its face represented decades of life and wisdom.

Destiny Lam

I need any facts (literally any information at all) about Japanese spider crabs. That thing cannot possibly be something from this planet!

Bender

Why do animals keep evolving into crab forms? What's so perfect about their shape and abilities? Seems like animals should be evolving into speedy, sleek sharks. Or passive, filtering sponges. Why crabs?

Emily Staw-fur

Crabification. Are we going to evolve into crabs? Why does evolution seem to like crabs?

Mimz

How strong is the strongest claw? Why do hermit crabs start in the ocean and then they can live on land? How?!

Mimz

How did some crabs evolve to live on land and others live only in the ocean? Can you talk about crab asymmetry?

Timmy H.

I would like to retweet this question.

Connor Chapman

A crab is the perfect lifeform, yes?

Joe Porfido

Would love to know the pinch strength of different crabs and which is strongest... could you lose a finger

Steven Shelley

Ok so I know there’s that joke that everything evolves to be a crab but like just how many species pulled convergent evolution to hop on that trend?? And why does it just keep coming up again and again??

Emily P

What is the most ethical way to kill a crab if you're going to eat it?

Adam Foote

Are they smart/can they be taught stuff? What crabs are and are not crabs, i.e. how long ago did the Krabby lineage split from their, ahem, Krusty friends? Do you see what I did there? But seriously are crabs Cambrian monsters or are they more recent than that?

Bender

Go for it!

Emily P

What can they see with those cute little beady eyes?

Cyntia B

FTQA how did crabs evolve to live in the forest like the ones I've seen in mountain forests in Panama? I've heard they went multiple times from sea to land to sea to land... what was the evolutionary pressure driving this? What is the diet of land-dwelling crabs?

Rayna

I need to know why crabs are the symbol for cancer (astrology) and if that has anything to do with cancer (the disease)

corvidthey

Is everything crabs?

Vero Tavares

FTQA why do animals keep evolving into crabs?

Maddy B

FTQA: what's the deal with crabs & cancer in the zodiac and the geographic tropic of cancer ? and who named cancer (the disease) after them ??

Destiny Lam

What are crab’s capacity for feelings and pain (I’m sure they feel pain but I often hear otherwise). And what do their social structures look like. Do they have a pecking order?

Timmy H.

CRABIFICATION??

Michael Carron

Why do crabs jack with my stomach? Like hard.

Peyton Nill

FTQA!! I feel like I can get a disease from picking up a crab on the beach, is that true? Can I hold them?

Destiny Lam

Are crabs actually irritable? Hence the saying “crabby”?

Alexandre Catulle

Are they all eatable? I'm thinking about the invasive king crab, eating it might manage their population?

Emily Staw-fur

Where did the phrase "feeling crabby" come from? Also if you haven't heard Jules' song "feeling like a crabby crab" please look them up

Marc Albert

Should we be trying to kill (and maybe eat?) all the invasive crabs? (green crabs / Asian shore crabs / mitten crabs etc?)

Dave Cannon

I've heard the lifeform of CRAB evolved 8 separate times in it's own, are they the true ultimate form of life.

Eating Spaghetti in Bed

FTQA: my husband is an Optometrist and has had to, on more than one occasion, carefully remove crabs from a patient’s eyelashes one at a time with tiny tweezers. That’s all, just thought you should know. 👁️ 🦀

Dave Cannon

Coconut crabs, what happened there?

daniel schmaniel

what's the difference between a true crab and a crab-shaped crustacean?

Lauren Cooper

Why does everything keep evolving into crab shapes?

daniel schmaniel

have you ever had bbq crab? no bbq sauce involved, it's seasoned and flash fried.

mish the fish

are crabs (as in the sti) related to crabs on the beach or are they just called the same thing? why has the horseshoe crab been around for so long?

Hannah Beyl

FTQA: Why does everything become a crab? What’s up with carcinization?

Olivia Eliasson

Why are hermit crabs so nice that the line up in a queue to test a new and bigger shell?

Anne Dullmaier

Crabs, crawfish, lobsters … they all seem like weird cousins to me. Are they? How closely related are they? Do they have buddies from other species? I‘m thinking of e.g. fish that clean other fish. Relationships like that. Can’t think of the right term atm.

Cynthia Cinnabar

Why did so many crab species evolve to walk sideways? And how, since that doesn't seem like an easy default to slide into?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Do crabs feel pain? Is steaming them alive super bad for them? Other than the whole dying part obvs.

Mariah Ramsey

FTQA: WHEN WILL HUMANS TURN INTO CRABS? Why is the crab shape and behavior the best evolutionary method? CRABIFICATION?

Olivia Eliasson

What does "crabs have a uniquely structured heads for a reason" mean???

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Why are blue crabs struggling in their homeland (the Chesapeake bay) but starting to be invasive and take over in Italy? There are a bunch of super prolific invasive crabs, but the delicious ones that are supposed to be here aren't doing well? What gives?

Robert G Audet

More an observation. When we were on the Galapagos islands over 16 years ago, the birds and the marine iguanas were not at all skittish with humans, but the Sally Lightfoot crabs (stunningly beautiful coloration) were freakishly scared anytime we got within 40-50 feet of them. Seems like fear of humans is in the crab genetics, but not in the native iguana or blue, footed booby genetics! Are all crabs skittish around humans? Oh yes, and the ghost crabs on the Galapagos beaches – the cutest damn things I’ve ever seen popping out of and diving into their burrows as the waves come and go. A-DOR-ABLE

Olivia Eliasson

What does "some "crabs" are not true crabs" mean??? There's fake crabs????

Hezy Anholt

Is it bad to throw them live into boiling water? What's the most ethical way to kill them so I can eats them? Do they feel pain?

Lizzie R

(FTQA here and long time fan) Why are many types of crabs/lobsters various shades of red or orange?

TJ Mckenna

POM POM CRABS!! WHY ARE THERE CHEERLEADING CRABS?!?!?

Robert G Audet

Yes. Me too. This is a new concept to me.

Alyssa Ranker

Why do some crabs skitter sideways?

Sarah Albrecht

WHY DOES ALL BECOME CRAB (re: carcinization)?

Abraham Livingston

What’s the strongest crab (in terms of pinching power)?

DebDoesScience

Why do things keep evolving into crabs? In what way are they peak lifeforms? What makes their shape so advantageous?

Jennah Oshiro

Is there any connection to the “crabs” that people can get sexually?

Jarrett Byrnes

Why are blue crabs such a-holes? Or, more broadly, why are all swimming crabs such a-holes relative to others. Dungeness, Jonah crabs, or even green crabs are positively pussycats by comparison!

Dave Brewer

Crabs have a huge size range, from the Alaskan King to tiny ones we can barely see. What about them makes them so flexible to fit into so many ecological niches?

Anna

Seconding this one!

Stephanie Schmid-Falcon

What are the ologist’s thoughts on Howie the crab, of social media fame? Her owner claims that she is affectionate and recognizes her people, and the videos seem to demonstrate this. Is behavior like this typical in crabs in captivity?

Kristina Weaver

Is there some credibility to heikegani crabs have face-like carapaces due to selection pressures caused by fishermen.

Jane Nelson

What is it about [BLUE!] horseshoe crab blood that is so important to medical research, and how was that discovered? I read Richard Fortay's Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms (which was super fascinating) but it was published in 2012 and it was still pretty mysterious at that time, so I'm wondering if/how the research has advanced in the last 12 years. (twelve...because it's somehow 2024 in a week and a half?)

30.004861 cm of fun!

It's from the Greek word Karkinos which means Crab or Tumor - probably due to the blood vessel structure and shape of prominent tumors which would have been observable during ancient times like goiters and other superficial tumors

Alia Myers

Q from my boyfriend who "doesnt have any questions": How do they eat? Do they have mouths? Where are their mouths? What do they even eat???

Deacon Raid

Can we make the lobster leviathan god?

Alia Myers

Do they lay eggs?? How do they reproduce?

Alia Myers

If they lay eggs where do they lay eggs?

Sarah Piette

Do you love howie the crab???

Alia Myers

How long can they survive under water?

Rayna

please say you were joking and this was a joke

Jane Nelson

Also, on a slightly sillier note, in the scorpiology episode we learned that scorpions originally emerged from the sea, they were three feet long...how likely is it that crabs will one day evolve into tiny, land-bound, hard-shelled spiders with claws? And can I have advanced warning so I can leave earth before that happens?

Emma Henson

Have any crabs been observed living in communities or are they all solitary?

Austin Broadwater

FTQA: What do you think about the theory that Amelia Earhart’s body was consumed by crabs?

Keegan Newman

FTQA what do crabs eat? Can they digest human food? Why the perfect little balls of sand left after eating through the sand? & I know horseshoe carbs aren’t true crabs, but why??? Thank you!!!

Average_pi

Thoughts on coconut crabs eating Amelia Earhart and Sebastian from the little mermaid?

Mary of the Grapefruit

Why no pinch? (Early 2000s car commercial) Seriously are they actually "cockroaches/bugs of the sea"? Horseshoe crabs are insane! What's up with the blue blood, and can it really cure some ailments?

Eating Spaghetti in Bed

I wish I could say I was joking. With patient name omitted, I was actually able to view magnified imaging of the eyeball crab farm the next time I visited his office. Like whoa.

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

Has there even been a species of giant crabs? I’m talking horse-sized crabs.

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

What are the pros and cons of having an exoskeleton vs an internal skeleton?

taylor

I heard that crabs have evolved through at least three separate lineages - is this true and if it is, why is the optimal shape crab-shaped?

Josie Chase

I read recently that the crab body has evolved several times across evolution! What makes it so successful?

Rick T

What is the evolutionary benefit for the horseshoe crab’s blue blood?

Jenn Macgillivray

Would love to hear about the Christmas Island crab migration and the use of horseshoe blood to make vaccines!

Corey

WHY DOES EVERYTHING BECOME A CRAB!?

Ashley

Can you explain the molting process? I've read they suck in a bunch of water to swell up and break out of the shell, but how? Or is that not what they do at all? How long does it take for the new shell to harden? How does the old shell break loose? Also, their gills, I read land crabs only have to get them wet once a day, how is that enough?

Sam Gretz

FTQA - Why does everything want to evolve into a crab?

Scott Sheldon

So…why are crabs the ideal body cause it seems like everything evolves to become crab-like?!

Courtney Horowitz

From my Smologist - WHY ARE THEY SO TERRIFYING?!

Bee

Why does evolution love crabs so much?!?!

Devin McPeek

Can you please elaborate on the “everything evolves into crabs” phenomenon?

Devin McPeek

How and why are they so delicious?

Devin McPeek

Do baby crabs usually have shells? And what is their life cycle like in general?

Jiann

FTQA! Why do Dungeness crabs all have the same tattoo-like pattern on their shells? How does this pattern help/hurt their survival chances? Is there a crab with an optimal pattern? Also.... "carcinology" sounds like cancer carcinogen... does it have to do with the cancer sign being a crab???

Hope

ok why is crab the ideal shape for everything/why does the phenomenon of carcinization happen? also, why does left or right “handedness” vary by species?

Matt Ceccato

How can we protect crabs? What ecosystem do they serve?

Fi Cameron

Why and how are they so cute with their little eyes and snappy snappy claws?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) What factors into making a good or bad crabbing season from one year to the next? Who decides the harvesting limits and how? How do we know if people are following the rules? 2) Why did they end up looking like giant spiders?? Do they need all those legs? How big has the biggest crab ever been? 3) How do they navigate the sea floor when they can only go sideways? Can they flip themselves if they get stuck upside down? 4) How good is their eyesight? 5) Crabs vs lobsters, who would win? Do they interact with each other? How are different crab species interacting with each other? Are they social at all? Do they tend to be aggressive or chill with each other? 6) How much of a problem are invasive crab species in non-native areas? 7) How effective is the exoskeleton armor and badass claw at deterring predators? Are there other animals that are experts at eating them? 8) How many different colors do crabs come in and what are the pigments made of? 9) Do crabs have a butthole? Seems like yes but I've never heard anyone say anything about crab buttholes before for some reason... What does crab poo look like? 10) Do they have little crab teeth? Are they chewing food at all or just shoving it down the hatch? 11) Do crabs live all over the oceans, or are there areas that are not hospitable for them?

Cat Baklarz

Why does everything go back to crab evolutionarily?

Marisa

What is the genealogy of crabs? How did they evolve to be so insect like, but yet animals? 🦀

Storm

is the STI known as crabs related to actual crabs? does the STI even look like a crab!

Karry Muzzey

I was also wondering about the relationship of crabs to cancer!

Cate Muenker

OMG, Finally! What do crabs see with those crazy stalk eyes? Also, talk about ecdysone and how it works! And which crabs are native to US and which ones came by boat?

Mark McPhillips

Once in a riverbed in Japan at low tide I noticed dozens of tiny crabs all lifting and lowering their claws up together, in a kind of "Mexican wave" pattern. What was going on?? Do all crabs do this? Just Japanese crabs?

Ten

FTQA - What crab species would live the longest (and happiest!) as a pet? I am enamored by crabs and would love to keep one but would only do so if it were good for the crab also.

Keely Chavez

FTQA Horseshoe crabs: why is the blood blue? are their numbers impacted because we harvest their blood & a % die even when we toss em back? Should we continue this practice in the face of climate change? Or do we do a better job of conserving them when it’s in our interest? PS I 🖤🦀!

Dana

Are crabs and/or other shellfish related to cockroaches?

slam whitey

How do they breathe when buried under sand, do they have crab snorkels.

Sarah king

Is there a way to help more hermit crabs? Can I just put a bunch of shell options somewhere? Where do they live?

Kelsey lore

How far do dungeoness crabs migrate?

Isabelle Newman

How do we stop people from selling hermit crabs unethically? (Places like the Jersey shore) is there anyway to go about this? I feel so bad for those little guys

Isabelle Newman

I just NEED to more about horseshoe crabs… are they even crabs??? They’re so wacky looking

Jazmine Jackson

Eating crabs is a popular pastime in the DMV especially in the summer. When I was taught to eat crabs I was told that eating the “devils fingers” or the lungs of the crab would make you sick/was potentially life threatening. Is there any truth to that and if so what’s the reason?

Meg W

Crabification... does this mean that some crabs are not evolutionarily related at all?

SalmonLikeTheFish

Any theories on why carcinisation happens? Can it only happen to species with a common ancestor?

Matt Hirschl

If I was a crab, what would be vision be like?

Matt Hirschl

My wife, Jenna, would like to know what creatures are BFFs with crabs?

Anna Frazier

does ocean acidification affect their shells too?

Anna Frazier

do the crabs in the tanks at super markets know that they’re going to die?

Mary Long

My 2 year old is obsessed with crabs, specifically the red crabs of Easter Island. But I’m curious, what evolutionary role does the color pattern play in different species of crabs?

Robert Lerner

Hi Alie, love your podcast! Happy to be a supporter. Is there an ad-free version available?

Joni Wildman

Why do they walk sideways???!!

wendy Forman

Are sand crabs really crabs? When I was little and went to the beach there were lots of tiny oval shaped creatures that burrowed into the sand when the waves receded. I was obsessed!

Bender

How large was the largest crab that ever existed? How big were its claws? What did it eat?

Ayshia Yaeger

Why does everything become crabs??? Why does evolution favor crabs so much?? "Asia" they/them!

jason freer

(FTQA) My wife is sometimes a little coo coo for coco puffs, and I sometimes tell her she is froot loops. Anyway, when visiting Daytona Beach, a ghost crab scared her off of the sand. She wants to know if the crab is still looking for her, and I’m curious if they just like breakfast cereal.

Marvin McCreary

FTQA: What’s up with Alaska’s snow crab disappearance? Are they going extinct or just moved to where it’s harder to find them?

Storm

what is this ‘everything evolves into crabs’ thing that everyone is asking about…?

Krista Jones

Can you talk about carcinization?! Everything is turning into crabs! Ahhh!!

Maggie Towle

What’s with the walking sideways? Do they always walk sideways? Why? Also why do some crabs jump? My parents saw some in Mexico a few years ago and they straight up hopped like a flea. What’s up with that?

curly fry

How do they walk like that?!!

curly fry

Can you talk a little bit about how climate change is affecting them?

Stephanie Coombes

How nutritious is crab to eat? Such a big food item i

Stephanie Coombes

Oops…. Such a big cultural food on the east coast

Allie Brown

Is everything becoming a crab? (Aka tell me about carcinisation!)

Allie Brown

What’s with that beach full of little orange crabs all scurrying together? Makes me go a little panicky inside when I see that video…

Allie Brown

You can tell if a crab is male or female based on the shape of a part of their underside. Why is that shape different between the sexes?

Jeanette-o-saur

I second this question. Are they just line dancing through life?

Jeanette-o-saur

Why is one claw sometimes beefier than the other?

Shannon Siegel

What has been the most interesting type of crab you have come across in research? Why is there so much study related to horseshoe crab blood and why do they look so different from other crabs? Or well different from what you typically expect a crab to look like.

Jeanette-o-saur

Why do we say someone is crabby when they're grouchy?

Sonjabird

Carcinization! Why do so many animals look like crabs?

Arlo Kay

What's the tastiest part of the crab? (Subjective obviously)

Jeanette-o-saur

How soft are soft shell crabs? Are they leathery like a leatherback turtle?

Jeanette-o-saur

I looked up crabs on eyelashes and it seems this is likely crab lice rather than real crabs. Not less freaky to be fair

Dicken Crane

What about fresh water crabs? We have fresh water mussels, and fresh water clams, and maybe terrestrial crabs? Are they more than sea food? Of course they are, tell us how!

Dicken Crane

Are there fresh water crabs, terrestrial crabs?

Twenty Three Skidoo

FTQA Please explain “true” vs “false” crabs. Isn’t that body shaming? Do hermit crabs hermit because they’ve been bullied?

Kate Timms

Why do they look so cute when they are cleaning their little eye stalks? It’s just so cute! Real question: are they just cleaning or nomming on the stuff growing on them?

Esohn

Is boiling crabs alive really the most humane way to… end their lives?

Nicole Harper

In the FL keys there are these huge land crabs that come out at night. One night there was one that climbed up and was clinging halfway up the screen door when I tried to go outside. Pretty sure that was a prank. Still terrifying. Any fun stories on them? Thanks Alie!

Macy Abbott

How many crab related injuries occur a year? Ftqa Macy!

Johnna McHugh

How do the hermit crabs find each other in those videos that show bunches of them lining up to switch shells? (Johnna rhymes with Donna)

guildeforde

Was Amelia Earheart actually eaten by crabs?

Betsy B

Is it wrong to eat crabs if your astrological sign is cancer (aka the crab)?

Betsy B

Also, how strong are crab claws? Like what all can they break?

Becky Wilkinson

What's with carcinization? Why crabs? Are crabs the ultimate being?

Eating Spaghetti in Bed

Creepy AF and somehow I still love crabs as people. Majestic in all their shell-covered antics 💥

Aileen Lands

Are they dinosaurs? Or have they just been around since dinosaur times?

Paper Wasp Enthusiast

When a crab’s mouth starts bubbling, is that a defensive thing? Also, how do their arms hang on so strong, even if they’ve been broken off(also, my apologies to the crab that I did this too, I was a naive 8 year old who underestimated how strong a 2 in. crab would be and vigorously shook my hand until the crab disconnected from its claw)

Jude Sullivan

Hermit crabs. Is it true that it’s impossible to get them to mate in captivity? Why?

Heather Moore

Why is crab the final evolution (considering it's happened so many times?!?) Could humans eventually become crabs?

Anna Elizabeth

carcinization. please expand. why are we all turning into crabs?

Caitlin Morrison

When i was a kid i would find hermit crabs at the beach in cape cod and my mom always said if you hum to them they would emerge from their shell, it always seemed to work. Is there any truth behind that and if so why?

Tamarys

what’s up with horseshoe crabs? I have heard about their blood being super valuable and also it blows my mind that they are so ancient!

Kieran H

I’m sure that so many people will ask this but. Please expand on carcinization. Why?? How??? Are we all destined to become Crab?

Jeanette Moss McCurdy

Will Earth one day be just a big crab party? With human crabs and all the other life forms as crabs waving our big claws around?

Nick Thayer

Hey Alie, not sure where the right place to post a nomination is, but: Could you do an Enigmatology episode with Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle?? I think it would be very cool!

Hannah Gorrie

What's inside their shell, is it muscle/flesh or goo?

Hannah Gorrie

Are there animals we refer to as crabs but they aren't true crabs?

Tall Floating Dog

Fiddler crabs??? What's up w their one giant hand

Zoe

Are crabs just sea bugs? And yes also really curious about carcinization, why is crab the ideal form? HOw????

Maria Andrus

Are crabs crabby 👀 they must be

Euan Munro

What are crabs closest relatives on land?

Naomi Jane

There's already an Enigmatology ep with David Kwong 😄

Naomi Jane

What range/wide angle of vision do they have with those weird little peepers?

Alex

If crabs accidentally flip themselves over shell-side-down, do they have a way to right themselves on their own? I once saw a horseshoe crab in an aquarium strand itself on its back like this, and it seemed to be struggling—I told one of the attendants but they said not to worry about it. I still think about this little critter often, though.

Marianne Thomas

Are we still meeting new crabs, like the hairy one from a few years ago? How quickly does carcinisation happen? Like, what are the chances of a new crab evolving during my lifetime? & How would we know how new it was?

Kelly Shaver

Carcinization. What the hell?

Kelly Shaver

Is the best Battle Bot a crab?

Erik Pohanka

What makes carcinization the ideal form?

Erik Pohanka

What are the ecological impacts of crab meat and is there a way to determine ethically sourced crabs?

Your New Favorite Animal Podcast

They look so funny when they swim! I don’t really have a question but I want Alie to describe how they look swimming in the amazing way she has of describing visuals over the podcast!

Aoife Holmes

Can they regrow their own limbs?! Or maybe their shell?!

Aoife Holmes

What sort of colours do they come in and what is the coolest one you have seen?

Brittany Winchester

Maryland gal here. Been eating the “mustard” happily since I was just a wee lass. Do I want to know what it is? Why is it so delicious?

Jesse Hurlburt

Why evolutionarily speaking did they evolve to walk sideways?

Jesse Hurlburt

How strong is a crab? How fast? We used to race crabs in our hallways as a kid after crabing.

Jesse Hurlburt

I know soft shell crabs are freshly molded crabs but the ones we buy to eat are those a specific species? And they most molt at a specific time to capture them right?

Jesse Hurlburt

What about the first person to eat a crab? What were they thinking? That thos alien looking creature is something that must be eaten? What's the first recorded mention of a crab being eaten?

Megan Ramirez

How can I convince my partner that crabs are not out to get him?

Jenna Congdon

WHY DO THEY WALK SIDEWAYS? And why is it so cute when they do?!?!

Jacob Elsbree

How do they survive at all after molting? They look like they’re made of jello and they would be delicious to a predator

Pavka34

Explain why the Maryland blue crab is the best crab in the world, at least for eating. 😋

Pavka34

I’m a bit confused because I thought there already was an episode on crabs. 🦀 Somewhere else then I heard that “crabs” have evolved multiple times over the eons and that there seems to be something evolutionarily beneficial to the “crab” form. Is there truth to this?

Pavka34

Draw the line between true crabs and spidery water things that get called crabs. I’m looking at you horseshoe crabs.

AussieColin

How did crabs come to be a euphemism for VD? :-) (Assuming that this is not just an Aussie thing...)

Emma is Rosey

Any thoughts or tips on responsibly eating crab?

Monika Ladyka

How do they breathe since they live both in the water and on land?

Rebecca Morrison

FTQA: how are crabies (crab babies) made? How do they change in the first few days after hatching (do they hatch?)?

Iso Partee

How long do crabs live?

Iso Partee

Why is the crab the universe’s FAVORITE shape ????? Hasn’t the crab evolved independently a bunch of times ??

Iso Partee

What is the largest crab species ? The smallest ?

The Joyful Spitfire

Do crabs have the ability to vocalize? Basically asking is Sebastian the crab is plausible as a character.

Taylor Crevola

Firsr time question asker: Is it true that, given infinite time, everything would evolve into a crab?

Rebecca Cloud

Any idea why documentaries like ones narrated by David Attenbourough have dopey music when talking about crabs?

Abby Grieb

Are there any endangered crab species? How has commercial fishing impacted them? How sustainable is it to eat them?

Zinc

what's the connection between the animal the star sign and the disease

Jenna Catalano

How smart are crabs? I've heard they are very intelligent but do we have any idea how intelligent they are?

Robert

What crab lives in the most extreme environment? Are there etxremophile crabs?

Valerie Bertha

Where did the term “crabby” come from and do they truly have “crabby” personalities or are they getting a bad rap?

Mouse Paxton

When my sister and I were kids we found a crab at the beach and made it a little restaurant out of sand and served it sand inside a seashell since we always saw them picking through sand to eat. What do you think the crab would rate the dining experience?

Andrea Devlin

When you find a crab shell washed up on the beach, is it most likely from a crab molting? Or is it a crab that was eaten??

Lisa Baik

How do crabs find a mate?

Lisa Baik

What makes crabs crabby?!

Erin Burbidge

Related: why is carcinzation something we see in nature? What is it about the crab body plan that has it cropping up in nature so often?

Erin Burbidge

I've heard so many different assertions about how much pain crustaceans can feel - what is the latest evidence on this?

SmoothKriminal

Time for crab! Why is Carcinisation a thing?

Susan Singley

Why are some people allergic to crabs and other shellfish? What's up with that?

Kellee Toler

FTQA: who (what peoples) ate the first crab? Like who took that thing out of the ocean and decide to try to eat it?

Dylan V

I have an irrational phobia.. of crabs.. WHY ARE THEY CREEPY SIDE WALKING DEMON SPAWN? But also, I have heard that some crab species evolved convergently, and this is colloquially called crabification. Is this true, and if so, when discover alien life, how likely am I to be terrified by it's crablike appearance?

Gene Phillips

I have read a few times that nature keeps trying to make crabs, which I suppose means critters in the general form of crabs. So, what makes a critter crablike enough to be looked at this way? Personally, I think it has to scuttle sideways as well as have a certain form.

Gene Phillips

In Japan, there are small crabs called sawagani that live in fresh water, including mountain streams. Are fresh-water crabs found in many places?

Margot Louis

Who are their closest relatives

Maya Kakkava

what is the crabs biggest threat as in a predator? first time asking!

Maya Kakkava

when crabs molt how do they always find a new shell, or do they sometimes not....maybe a dumb question but i love that we encourage them in this podcast! first time asking

Amy Narimatsu

Native Marylander here! In your opinion, what's the best place for crabs and what's the best way to pick crabs?

Nicole Kleinman

Does the term being “crabby” actually have anything to do with crabs?

Nicole Kleinman

On a scale of 1/10 , how much does getting pinched by a crab hurt?

Emily Burns

i’ve seen crabs that have pinchers that are almost bigger than its whole body. How is it possible to have such large appendages without it outweighing the rest of your body?

Emily Burns

do crabs the crustacean have any relation to crabs the disease?

Emily Burns

why do some crabs, like hermit crabs, have shells that they have to acquire from outside sources where other crabs have shells that grow naturally out of their bodies?

Spencer J

Crab pincers - defense or offense, or both? Do they mostly sense predator/prey though sight, sound, physical touch, or electromagnetic waves (like a platypus)

River Canina

what about crabs makes them superior and cool from an evolutionary standpoint? They're like 200 million years old?? (technically not first time question asker but I forgot to mention it when I asked my first question)

Quincy J Byrne

FTQA, except technically this is my third question and i just realized I was supposed to identify myself! Oops! How closely related are crabs and lobsters? What evolutionary relatives to crabs have on land (if any)?

Pseudonym Jones IV

Crabs have such cute eyes! Do they perceive things in any special way (e.g. polarized light, weird colors, ghosts)? Do they have any particularly weird other senses?

Mariah Walzer

I'm going to bet others have asked this already but I have to ask about the whole crabs evolved multiple times (???) thing. How? Why? What is so superior about the crab shape?

Mariah Walzer

What's the evolutionary advantage of soft shells for soft shell crabs? It seems like it should've gotten them eaten instead of continuing.

Danduhman

How long do crabs live? How long could they live, are they almost immortal like a lobster.

Jaarmst

If I eat crabs, am I a bottom feeder?

Theresa Egan

Will we eventually turn into crabs?

Dianna Smith

Not a crab question per se but have you done an episode on aristology? “The art or science of cooking and dining.” I would love to hear you interview Ben Ebberel from Sorted Foods.

PopsicleEmperor

Why is there such color variance in crabs? Is it simply evolution to their environment or something else?

You Can Be The Judge

I started noticing how similar crabs and spiders are a few years ago. Connection? Are there any poisonous, fanged crabs? How is bubbling for defense supposed to be effective? What are weird things that are actually crabs but don't seem like it...like, is the horseshoe crab the weirdest one, or what? How small can crabs get? Do you need a microscope to study the smallest crabs?

You Can Be The Judge

Is there a possibility that me getting cancer, instead of slowly killing me, might turn me into a crab instead, therefore becoming the final form in human evolution?

Hope J 🏳️‍🌈

Is there any part of the world that crabs don’t habitate? Why is Old Bay the only correct seasoning to use when consuming crabs and french fries (coming from someone from the Eastern Shore of MD)? 😝 Which state or area dominates in the crabbing industry today and historically, and how has the crabbing industry changed in the last 50 years?

Rachel Cannon

The king crab die-off in Alaska has me very concerned about the future for our crustacean pals. Are other species considered threatened due to climate change? Is there any hope? Can we help?

The Aerial Mapper

I’m so happy you’re doing a crab episode! I’ve been wanting one for so long! Evolution wise, how long have crabs been around? When they burrow into the sand on the beach how do they not suffocate? Are there any deep sea crabs or do they all live near the shore?

Griffin Russell

What’s the deal with carcinization? Did I spell that right? (WHY IS EVERYTHING EVOLVING INTO CRABS?)

Nita Chen

Greetings, Where does the saying crabby come from?

Nita Chen

Greetings, Are the Sacculina infected crabs toxic to humans? What happens if humans ingest sacculina?

Nita Chen

Greetings, crabs vs. lobsters?

Dianna Patreon

Yes please! Also, are there other crab species that migrate?

Rachel Mello

I also wanted to ask about carcinization! No particular question, I just want to hear what the ologist has to say about it. Thanks!

Connor they them

I've heard of "left and right handedness" in snails. Is there equivalent left and right handedness in hermit crabs to fit into the shells.

Catherine Parker Edmonson

Tell us about sustainable stone crab claw harvesting. When a stone crab is caught in a trap, one big claw is removed, and then it is re-released. My dad (who did this) said the crab could still hunt and survive. We'd catch crabs in the process of re-growing a claw, so I'm hoping he was right?

Catherine Parker Edmonson

Why do they love chicken bones in their traps? FTQA thx, Catherine from North Carolina

JinLikeTheDrink

FTQA: would crabs make good pets? They are so cute.

Ang

I’m intrigued by the premise that crabs evolved multiple times down different lineages, and would love to hear more about that!

Bee Bog

FTQA! Why has every other species (crab or otherwise) evolved but horseshoe crabs have been vibing in their lil horseshoe bodies since the beginning?

Kimberly Myers

FTQA! How have the invasive European Green Crab and Asian Shore Crab affected the Ecosystem in the Northeast US?

StrawbrryMom 🍓

STQA: Have you seen the people with pet crabs on TikTok? They take them on walks and put cute crowns on them. Alie you answered my question for the first time in the NDE episode (!!!!!!), I heard you struggle on my last name. Everybody does it’s ok. Last name pronounced “Search-ee-aah-ruh” but feel free to just say “Search” I’m honestly flattered that you even answered me Dad 🤍

Sammy Moorin

Why is there a common theme in evolution where everything slowly turns into a crab

Sarah Cork Henderson

OK. As a resident of the state of Maryland, where crab feasts are part of the culture… When they throw all those live crabs into a big pot, cover them in Old Bay seasoning, and steam them (never boiled), do they suffer?

LowKookyy

Is Mr. Krab anatomically correct?

Lee O'Reilly

what is up with the sideways running? why not go forward?

Lee O'Reilly

how did crabs become associated with cancer the zodiac sign?

Ja Jo: Art & Craft

Why are they so cute? They’re the best shapes and colors. How can we help out the crabs?

Michelle M

Is it true that the Brant Goose is a kind of crab? I recently read that this goose is really a kind of crab that turn into birds at some stage in their life, which is why Catholics are allowed to eat them on Friday.

Vero Tavares

How does Adam feel about the terminology being commonly associated with invasive cancer?

Patience P.

FTQA: why do hermit crabs not grow their own shells like other species of crabs?

PapoGuapo

FTQA: How well are Crabs able to use their claws to manipulate things? What's the most intricate(?) or fine motor-skill based thing they can do with their claws?

Amie Allen

As a Marylander, I know I’m gonna loooove this episode!

Amanda Lask

What is up with crabification and so many different species resorting to that body plan?

Hailey

FTQA! Why do they do that with their hands? Also, do you have a favorite crab pun?

Shannon Burns

FTQA! Christmas crabs! wtf! Would love to hear more about the infrastructure put in place to protect them, and why they travel all the way home when it's such a perilous journey and they are likely to get eaten by another, bigger Christmas crab!?! rough life dude.

William Andrews

How far inland are crabs found? Can crabs survive freezing like some other animals? Do crabs ever get eaten in a single gulp by an animal and then the start pinching and get puked back out?

Iso Partee

I highly recommend the podcast episode “crabs all the way down” from radio lab. Such a funny story about a woman who successfully breeds hermit crabs !! I learned that there are hermit crab conventions! Are there conventions for other types of crabs ?

Iso Partee

FTQA!! Also name pronounced “ E-so”

Pup E. Dog

FTQA: How has ocean acidification impacted crabs? Does it mess up their shells? And does that mess with the animals that eat them?

Zane Schneider

Why are there so many crabs that aren't crabs? Why does evolution keep making crabs? And how come we can't call them crabs when it does? Why can't we let hermit crabs and blue crabs into the official crab club?

Sam Szura

FTQA: in your opinion what is the tastiest crab to eat? Also are they being overfished? - Sam szura (phonetically Zur-ah)

Amandaloveskurt

FTQA: Why does everything evolve into crabs? Also why do they call them soft shell crabs? My understanding is the shell is still hard just not as hard as other crabs. So shouldn’t it just be softer shelled crabs? lol

Between Dumplings

Please touch on the invasive species: green crabs here in New England. Boston chefs and sustainability folks are promoting them as they are damaging the ecosystem here. Tasty but not very meaty and so mostly only fancy places do them. Do people (other than Marylanders, waves at Aime Allen) know the shape of the apron is how one tells M from F? Why do they change from blue to red when steamed? How hungry was the first guy that looked at a crab and said "looks tasty". Christmas Island crabs....crazy...a carpet of them, road crossings, etc. Oh, Christmas Island could be an optional add-on to our Madagascar adventure. Ha. Oh.. Ologies Travel Club. Make it so. And what is the deal with - spins the globe - HORSESHOE crabs.

Audrey Hudak

Why do some crabs have hard shells and others soft? (And no bones!)

Auri Malloy

Why do crabs come in so many sizes? I’ve seen everything from crabs as small as a grain of sand to massive spider crabs!!! Also why are crabs so stinking cute 😍😍😍

Emily Gilbert

Crabs Vs Lobsters, Why is a lobster not a crab and vice versa? they're both delicious and both have claws/pincers/????

joesyourmom

Do crabs sing? Or grunt? Or vibrate to make any particular sound? Do they have ears??🙃

Megan Morgan

FTQA: Is the apron shape on bottom of crab the way to tell male from female with all species? How do they mate? What are the main causes of species decline for crabs in the food industry Are there land crabs, and if so are they different from aquatic crabs? Or are they all crabs? Is it true that a “red tide” is sometimes called that because of the color of the crabs escaping the oxygen depleted water? Do crabs migrate long distances? Or at all? Are crabs only detritivores? What is the difference between crabs and horseshoe crabs? Are horseshoe crabs real crabs?

Lisa N

How deep does the deepest crab speecies live? Do they live around hydrothermal vents?

Lisa N

FTQA: How long have crabs been around and what is their evolutionary history / how are they related to other marine animals?

Lisa N

How are crabs effected by climate change and ocean acidification?

Lisa N

Hermt crabs!! How long have they been around??

Clover

FTQA: Is the STD “crabs” actually crabs?

Amy Sechrist

FTQA: If crabs lose both claws are they just screwed? Will one grow back fast enough for them to eat? What is the evolutionary advantage of Japanese Spider Crabs being so large and scary?

Simone Francoeur

FTQA: I recently read an article about the blue land crab moving further north from Florida and becoming invasive in Georgia and the Carolina's. It was also mentioned that a distinguishing characteristic about them is that one of their claws is always bigger than the other one, but I was unable to find out why? Is this an adaptation for a specific purpose?

Noam

FTQA: crabs claws look both terrifying and musically enticing somewhat like the guy that's pulls out a guitar while you sit around, but way cooler! Do crabs click clack to each other or the world around them in groovy musical toons or is this 100% unbiased cartoon propaganda?

Rosalie Misleh

FTQA: Hermit crabs??? are their bodies just squishy? how did they evolve to wear little hats unlike the rest of their friends. additionally, please say more about decorator crabs

Emmett

Why do I keep finding crab body parts on the beach—are they okay?

Jackie G

(first time questioner) Are horseshoe crabs really crabs, or should they be called horseshoe crustations? Also, how long can crabs live out of the water? One time on vacation in Cancun saw a crab running (sideways (adorably)) down the sidewalk and we were at least 4 blocks from the ocean. That was 2009 and my partner and I still talk about that crab - it was top 5 most memorable things about that vacation.

Andy

How strong is the biggest crabs claws

Melissa Kane

I know you’ll cover it but what makes a crab a crab? They seem very diverse.

Ashley Marrs

FTQA Deadliest Catch flim flam? 1. In the ship’s holding tank, if one crab dies, do they release a substance that kills the other crabs? 2. Can a stressed crab lose all its limbs and become like a crab hockey puck? (I think I remember hearing these on the show, but I could have entirely made them up)

Amanda Hurley

Good questions! Fiddler crabs have a big clown and a small claw too - how come?

Amanda Hurley

Do they use their claws/pinchers for communication?

Alyssa Wright

FTQA are crabs the spiders of the sea?

Badoopadoo!

FTQA - Why do sea bugs like crabs taste good, but land bugs like spoods taste not so good? Is it because of the salt?

peach head

(FTQA) What's the most unusual places for crabs to live? What do they need? I once saw a crab hiking in the mountains

Ingrid Clark

FTQA - Why does EVERYTHING end up evolving into a crab eventually?

Sophia Runte

FTQA- Do crab scientists partake in the consumption of their research subjects? This power/ethical dynamic has always fascinated me.

Helios

FTQA: Would love to hear anything you know about Maryland blue crabs, and your opinion on them being the mascot of an entire state, if you have one. Also, what's your favorite crab meme?

Lillian Rolfe

Howie! So many folks watched her molt.

Lillian Rolfe

Second this question. I enjoy Howie videos but there is a lot of anthropomorphising happening.

Alexandra Greif

FTQA: Why is it carcinisation and not crabification?

A Baker

Currently living in Alaska. Where did the crabs go? We had 2 years of missing king crabs. Are they declining due to warmer water? Or Did they find a really good hiding spot?

Drtymgrty

FTQA: Why is the crab the world's most perfect form? IIRC there have been 8 independent evolutions of crab-bod.

Gamar Markarian

FTQA: who/what are crabs friends with under the sea?

paige

ftqa: kinda morbid but i remember helping my dad steam crabs and after putting them in the pot it actually sounded like they were screaming… like are they actually screaming bc they’re being boiled alive or what

Jessica Wood

FTQA: what makes the Chesapeake blue crabs blue? And what causes the difference in taste ie why is stone crab considered better tasting than say Dungeness?

C dB

Might mites be tiny crabs?

Alyssa Hoff

FTQA: Do crabs have gills? How can they be out of water? Can they hold their breath crazy long??? Thanks so much. love you long time. 🫶

Brianne Brenneman

How do we feel about hermit crabs as pets? Humane or no?

Lee Horton

Are they communicating with each other. Is it through movement? If yes, what's the hokey pokey mean to a crab?