CRABS

1. CRABS Written by Eric

2. MANY KINDS OF CRABS There are 4500 kinds of crabs that live on land and water. A Japanese spider crab lives for a long time and looks like a spider with eight legs. The ghost crab has been given its name because it looks like Casper the ghost. A hermit crab has no shell.

3. THE BIGGEST CRAB The biggest crab is nine meters. The smallest is 1.27 centimetres.

4. SHELLS Crabs are shellfish. Their bones are a thick shell outside its body. Crabs grow bigger and bigger inside their shells. When they get too big the shell cracks. Then the crab grows a new shell.

5. LIFE CYCLE A baby crab starts from an egg. Then they turn in to a larva with soft body. Then they grow tiny hairs. The hairs helps to trap food. They float in the water and grow. When it grows bigger and bigger it drops to the bottom and grows a shell.

6. Crabs have eight legs and two claws. It can break hard things like coconuts with it's claws. They walk sideways. A crab can walk directions. It can go right and left. It can also can go straight.

7. Crab eyes pop up like a jack in a box.

8. DIET Crabs eat nearly anything. They eat algae, fish, clams and seaweed. They eat what they find lying around.

9. DECORATIONS Crabs live in the ocean. They hide from predators in different ways. They decorate their shells with other animals and plants. Sometimes they have sponge or algae growing on them. Some crabs use camouflage. Their shells are the same color as their habitat. Crab protect them selves by using their shell and their claws to pinch.

10. CAMOUFLAGE Some crabs use camouflage. Their shells are the same color as their habitat. Crabs protect them selves by using their shell and their claws to pinch.