Yes. Coconut crabs are edible.
People eat coconut crabs. Several crabs can feed people. Coconut crabs have lots of meat. And eggs are considered to be the best part. Eating coconut crabs is safe. Coconut crabs have same issues as other crabs. Eating them is popular in islands. We have hunted them to extinction.
They taste similar to snow crab or lobster. More meat is in coconut crabs. Coconut crabs are fit to be eaten. Are considered rich in protein, healthy fats and vitamins.
There are tips to enjoy them. You should eat them if you get a chance. Tastes like other crab. Simple to prepare before eating. A delicacy and aphrodisiac in Pacific Islands where they roam.
How strong is a coconut crabs pinch?
Researchers captured 29 coconut crabs on Okinawa Island in Japan. The crabs were made to clamp down on steel force sensors. Pinching forces ranged from 29.4 to 1765.2 newtons among the collected crabs. The human bite force is about 340 newtons at most.
Coconut crabs are the largest land-living crustacean. They often descend from trees by falling. They can survive a fall of at least 4.5 meters unhurt. It takes them several days to open coconuts with their strong claws. They cut holes into coconuts and eat the contents.
In the 1980s, Holger Rumpff observed and studied how they open coconuts in the wild. The animal has developed a technique. If the coconut is still covered with husk, it will use its claws to rip off strips, always starting from the side with three germination pores.
Unlike most crabs, coconut crabs spend nearly their entire lives on dry land. Their enormous claws developed as an evolutionary solution. It’s thought they evolved from a hermit crab ancestor. Modern coconut crabs do not have a shell to protect them. They have developed large, calcified bodies and claws. That provides them necessary armory. It helps them avoid predation and access terrestrial food. Oh, and they can also climb trees.
Shin-ichiro Oka estimates the largest coconut crab could crunch with 742 pounds of force based on body size. He says, “The pinching force of the largest coconut crab is almost equal to the bite force of adult lions.”
The pinch force exceeds that of any other known crustacean. If a human had the same pinch strength ratio as a coconut crab, they could produce six tons of crush force. Among land animals, the crab’s size to crush ratio is second only to the saltwater crocodile bite force. That rivals T. rex.
Adult coconut crabs are about 1 meter from leg tip to leg tip. Their sharp and strong grip can be painful. If threatened, a crab may break off claw or leg to escape predators. The limb will later regrow through regeneration.
Oka and colleagues captured 29 wild coconut crabs from Okinawa Island, Japan. They measured the pinching force of the crabs’ claws. Oka says, “When I was pinched, I couldn’t do anything until it unfastened its claw. Although it was only a few minutes, I felt eternal hell.”
As the name implies, the powerful claws relate to eating coconuts. The crabs use claws to fight, defend themselves and eat foods with hard exteriors. While decapods exert great pinching force relative to their mass, the pinching force of coconut crabs was unknown before.
Can you have a coconut crab as a pet?
Robber crabs are omnivorous. They are particularly fond of coconuts. Robber crabs can grow to be large, with some reaching 9 pounds. Their size makes them unique. While robber crabs have powerful pincers, they are not aggressive towards humans. Robber crabs live in forests and near coasts. They prefer islands.
What is the purpose of a coconut crab?
Coconut crabs are terrestrial hermit crabs. They are the largest land arthropods. Their size ranges up to 16 inches long. They weigh up to nine pounds. Their leg span reaches three feet wide. Coconut crabs get their name from eating whole coconuts. They climb up palm trees to knock down the coconuts. Their large muscular claws help open coconuts. Coconut crabs live a long time. Their growth rate is slow. They are hunted a lot for food. This can be problematic.
Coconut crabs cannot swim except as larvae. They drown if in water for over an hour. The coconut crab has a large front body section. It is divided into two parts. The back section is flat. They have ten legs used for climbing. Their leg muscles allow climbing trees. The claws can lift 64 pounds. That makes them ten times stronger than human hands. The claws can also be used as walking limbs.
Adult coconut crabs are omnivorous scavengers. They eat tropical fruits and molted skeletons of crustaceans. Coconut crabs have a strong sense of smell. This helps them find food. Despite their size and weight they climb trees well. They can scale coconut trees to reach fruits. Some islanders tie coconuts to trees with ropes to protect them. But coconut crabs still get them sometimes.
Interestingly, coconut crabs use their claws to rip open coconuts. Their claws are stronger than a lion’s bite. This lets them break open tough shells. Their climbing ability also helps them be predators and scavengers. They can climb any tree they can grip.