Mud Crab

The mud crab, also known as the mangrove crab or black crab, is found in estuaries and mangroves in Africa, Australia, and Asia. Generally, mud crabs have a mottled green to very dark brown shell and can grow up to 9.4 inches (24 cm) in width, weighing 7.7 pounds (3.5 kg). The mud crab is highly cannibalistic in nature—when a fellow crab undergoes the molting process, his hard-shelled companion will attack and devour him. The larger crabs of this species can bite through a wooden handle.