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Behavior of King Crabs

There are approximately 113 known king crab species found in the world's seas. King crabs have a fan-like abdomen, five pairs of legs and a lifespan of more than 20 years. The most common species used commercially is the red king crab, which is primarily harvested in Alaska.

Socialization
- Developing king crabs under a year old are solitary and tend to stay hidden from predators. Around the age of 2, they begin to form pods, consisting of thousands of crabs. These large groups aid in the protection from predators. Around the age of 4, they will leave their pods to migrate with the adult king crabs. Adult groups are generally divided by sex until mating season.
Migration
- Adult red king crabs migrate each year to reproduce. During the winter, they move to shallow water, mate and then return to the deep waters around the spring. Male red king crabs may migrate approximately 100 miles to reproduce.
Reproduction
- King crabs need to molt (shed its outer shell) to grow. In addition, it is necessary for a female to molt before mating. Molting is not a requirement for the male. During mating, the male holds the female by his two back legs. The female molts and lays between 43,000 to 500,000 eggs on her abdomen. The male then fertilizes the eggs. After fertilization, the female places the eggs under her abdomen where they will stay for approximately one year until they hatch.

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