Do Crabs Lay Eggs?
Yes, crabs lay eggs. There are many types of crab, but their reproductive activities are similar. Female horseshoe crabs lay between 60,000 and 120,000 eggs.
Horseshoe crabs reproduce in the spring. They migrate to sand flats during high tides where they mate and lay eggs. Male horseshoe crabs walk up and down the beaches waiting for the female crabs to arrive. When a female crab comes to shore, the male attaches himself to the female’s back using specialized legs called pedipalps. The female crab then digs a nest in the sand and the male fertilizes the eggs as she drops them into the nest. Females can lay several clutches of eggs each season. It takes the eggs between two and five weeks to hatch. Baby horseshoe crabs are in a larval state when they emerge.
