Student Information

Male or Female Crab?

To find out whether a crab is a male or a female you have to look at the abdomen (tail flap).

A male has a narrow lighthouse shaped abdomen (flap) - the crab on the right side of the photo.

A female is much wider allowing her to carry eggs - the crab on the left side of the photo.

The shapes of the abdomen are not all the same. It depends on the kind of crab.

Question: Is this a male or a female crab? Why?