This coconut crab weighs over 2 kilograms (Image by Shin-ichoro Oka)
Cracking coconut shells is a great workout routine for the coconut crab, who was recently named as the crustacean with the strongest pinch. A team of researchers measured the pinching force of 28 wild coconut crabs. They found that the bigger the crabs, the harder they pinch, with the maximum force projected to be 3300 newtons — greater than the pinching force of other crustaceans, as well as the bites of all terrestrial animals except alligators.
Authors:
Shin-ichiro Oka, Taketeru Tomita, Kei Miyamoto
Corresponding author:
Shin-ichoro Oka, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Japan. Email: sh-oka@okichura.jp, Tel: +81-980-48-2266
Original paper published in PLOS One on November 23, 2016.
