Crabs typically have 10 legs in total, arranged in five pairs. This includes one pair of pincers (also called chelipeds) used for grasping, defense, and feeding, and four pairs of walking legs used for locomotion such as walking, swimming, and crawling
. However, the number of legs can vary by species. For example, some crabs like porcelain crabs have only 8 legs, lacking the full five pairs typical of true crabs
. In summary:
- Most crabs have 10 legs: 1 pair of pincers + 4 pairs of walking legs.
- Some species may have fewer legs, such as 8 in porcelain crabs.
This leg arrangement is characteristic of crabs belonging to the order Decapoda, which literally means "ten-footed"
