Respiratory system of crabs

Prepared

By: Rogelio P. Laparan Jr.

Crabs Have Gills. Crabs breathe through gills.
For gills to work, they must be able to take
In oxygen and transport it into the animal's
bloodstream. The gills of crabs are located
under the carapace near the first pair of
walking legs.
The oxygen that crabs need is taken into
the gills either through water or moisture in the
air.
Breathing Out of the water, crabs have plates
called
articulating plates that can keep their gills moist
by sealing them in, storing moisture.
Have you ever seen a crab blow bubbles?
It is thought that crabs above water blow bubbles to keep oxygen
flowing to the gills—the crab draws in air,
which passes over the gills and supplies them with oxygen, but
since the air is going over the moist gills, it forms bubbles which
are released near the crab's mouth.
How Long Can a Crab Stay out of Water?
Land Crabs

The length of time a crab can stay out of water

depends on the type of crab. Some crabs, like coconut
crabs and land hermit crabs, are terrestrial and
breathe well without water, although they still need
to keep their gills moist. As long as their gills stay
moist, these crabs can spend their lives out of the
water. But if they were submerged in water, they
would die.
• Cephalothorax – The fused of head and
thorax of spider and other chelicerae
arthropods.
Aquatic Crabs

Other crabs, like blue crabs, are primarily aquatic and

are adapted to receiving their oxygen from the
surrounding water. Yet, they can still survive for 1-2
days out of the water.
The European green crab is a species infamous for surviving out
of water for a long time—at least a week. These species seem
indestructible, which is a problem since they have invaded many
areas of the U.S. and are out-competing native species for food
and space.
 Habitat Challenges
Many crabs also live in intertidal zones. There, they may
find themselves out of water for several hours at a time.
At that point, the key to survival is keeping their gills moist.
How do they do this? Out of the water, a crab's favorite
place is a cool, moist, dark place where their gills won't get
dried out and where they have shelter. The crab has
special plates, called articulating plates, that keep their
gills moist by shutting the opening in the exoskeleton
so that dry air can't get in. In addition, the crab
may drink water from puddles or even obtain it from dew.
Example of true Crabs
References and Further Information
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Underwater World:
Green Crab. Accessed December 31, 2015.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Blue Crab FAQ. Accessed January 31, 2015.
Mahoney, P.M. and R.J. Full. 1984. Respiration of
Crabs in Air and Water. Comp. Biochem. Physiol.
79A:2, pp. 275-282.
Marine Education Society of Australasia. The World of
Crabs. Accessed December 31, 2015.
Thank you “ ^__^