Can crabs shell? Why do they shell?

Crabs shell because their shells don't grow, while crabs grow by themselves.

When they get bigger and their shells can't cover their bodies, they will shed their shells and grow new ones to protect themselves.

Crabs can shell more than a dozen times in their lifetime. Shelling is related to their growth process and is an essential step.

When crabs shell, they will suck calcium carbonate out of the old shell and inject it into the new shell to make it hard.

First, can crabs shed their skins? We are all familiar with crabs, which are very common in real life.

In terms of species, they belong to crustaceans.

From the appearance, the crab's shell is one of its important features, and the shell is very hard.

The crab's shell will fall off and a new shell can grow.

In some cases, we can directly observe their shelling phenomenon.

In fact, crabs not only molt, but also molt more than once, more than a dozen times in their lives.

Shelling is of great significance to crabs, indicating that they are growing.

Second, why do crabs shell? As mentioned above, crabs will shell, and they can shell more than a dozen times in their lives. The shelling means a lot to them.

This is because their shells themselves will not grow, but it does not mean that crabs will not grow. At this time, crabs can only grow by shelling, so every shelling is related to the growth process.

In fact, there are many inevitable shelling processes from big-eyed larvae to young crabs and then to adult crabs.

When crabs shell, they will first absorb calcium carbonate from the old shell and store it in body fluids.

Then, soft wrinkles will grow on the crab shell.

After that, their old shells will slowly crack and fall off.

And this wrinkle will spread and gradually become a new shell, and then the crab will inject calcium carbonate stored in body fluids into the new shell to harden its new shell.