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How Long Can Crabs Live Out of Water? (Quick Answers)

Are you wondering whether crabs are able to live out of water? Are thinking of the possible reasons for such a unique pattern of living? Are you wondering about the longevity of their survival on the ground?

How long can crabs live out of water?

Crabs who are amphibious in their nature can survive or live out of the water for a varying amount of time ranging from 24 hours to 4 or 5 days. But this highly depends on the type of crabs as different crabs have different survival lengths when they are out of water.

Crabs due to their natural and genetic mark up can very easily live ad survive out of the water however, the longevity and duration are not the same for all types of crabs, and it is better to be knowledgeable regarding this. 

Blue crabs:

Blue crabs can live outside of water for more than twenty-four hours without any damage only if the provided environment is suited and favorable for them to be alive. 

Saltwater crabs:

It should not come across as a surprise that crabs have the ability to survive both in water and on land. Likewise, saltwater crabs can also live out of water for one or two days without anything happening to them. 

Horseshoe crabs:

Horseshoe crabs who seem to have book gills are very skilled in surviving out of the water for a very long time which is over four days

In addition, they also seem to have some unique techniques to keep themselves moist and for that, they either bury themselves in the sand or fold themselves and await the tide to come. 

Mud crabs:

Mud crabs can live for a longer period of time out of water. All they need is to keep their gills moist and this is enough for them to be alive for a few days without any major problems.

In addition, these carbs also seem to use or extract oxygen from the little water sacks they seem to have at the back of their eyes. 

Sand crabs:

Sand crabs can live out of water for one or two days. They need a lot of freshwaters to survive. 

In addition, when they are out of the water, they will be able to live longer especially if their gills are moistened enough to provide them with enough oxygen.

Hermit crabs:

Hermit crabs will survive for a very short time out of the water meaning as long as their gills are damp enough to provide them with enough oxygen. 

Fiddler crabs:

Fiddler crabs can live out of water for 1 or 2 days and being submerged with water after coming out of sea can actually cause them to struggle to survive.

Blue claw crabs:

A fresh, cool, and damped environment is what blue claw crabs need for their survival outside of water and therefore, the time period of their survival can be over 24 hours

Dungeness crabs:

Dungeness crabs can live out of the water for one or two days. However, the environment where they are put should really be very a cool, moist, and oxygenated place so that their gills will not get dried up. 

Alaskan king crab:

Being aquatic crabs, it is always better for the Alaskan king crab to be in the water to live properly. However, they can still live out of water for more than 24 hours only if they are moistened enough. 

Green crabs:

Green crabs can very well be adopted to live in both water and ground. They are very strong and skilled in their survival and can even live out of the water for a long period of time ranging from four to five days

Red claw crabs:

Crabs are amphibious in nature which means they are naturally programmed to live outside of water for a considerable amount of time and the same is true for red claw crabs which can live out of water for more than 24 hours

Can crabs breathe out of water?

Carbs are very unique as they can survive in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. They are able to live in water and can breathe through their gills like fish.

In addition, unlike fish, these very gills are well equipped enough for them to breathe out of the water as well

Moreover, there are a lot of species of crabs that live on the ground for the majority of their life. They can definitely breathe out of the water if their gills are moistened and damped enough for them to absorb oxygen from it. 

Do crabs have lungs? Can crabs breathe air?

Crabs typically do not have lungs however, they have gills which is very crucial in their breathing system.

Additionally, they can definitely breathe air in the sense that their gills have to be moistened enough for them to breathe air. 

Moreover, this helps to let the oxygen diffuse into their system. However, due to the amazing adapting process of crabs, there can be in some crabs branchiostegal lungs which can equip them to breathe air. 

How can crabs survive out of water? How do crabs breathe? 

Crabs can very easily live and survive out of the water for a longer period without a hassle and there are some amazing reasons behind this phenomenon. 


It should not come as a surprise that crabs can survive out of the water and they can do this due to their gills which are similar to fish gills. It is also to be noted that crabs do not have lungs rather only have gills. 

Additionally, these gills can hold moisture for a long time therefore, when crabs are out of the water, they can breathe by extracting oxygen from the gills. 


Crabs’ gills are highly adaptive to allow these crabs to breathe in terrestrial environments as well.

However, it is mandatory to not let the gills dry up because that can cause carbs to grasp for oxygen.

Additionally, crabs also seem to find water to keep their gills moistened from the foods they consume, and all these are the manifestation of their adaptive skills. 

Moistened Environment: 

Although carbs can surely breathe out of the water, they still need to be in damped, cool, fresh areas and in areas where there is a lot of moisture around. 

Moreover, when they are on the ground, they seek a place where there is no sunlight as direct sunlight can cause their gills to dry up. 

How to keep crabs alive? 

It is not always wise to use frozen crabs as these frozen ones may have several infections in them therefore, it is always better to keep the crabs alive and there are many ways to do that.

In addition, being knowledgeable about the ways of keeping your crabs alive can help you decide things accordingly. 

Storing in a Cooler:

The most effective way of storing your crabs is to store them in a cooler. This is a very cheap option and will not cause you a lot of money. 

Moreover, you should never store your crabs in standing water that is why you first need to unplug the drainer.

Moreover, another technique can be the use of a bushel basket which is also a very inexpensive route to go and even commercial crabbers use this method to keep the crabs alive. 

Place the Ice:

The next thing you need to do is to place several layers of ice and there are several techniques to do that. 

You can either layer the ice altogether and then place towels on top of that or you can place a layer of ice and then layer it with towels simultaneously.

Whatever technique you follow, you need to make sure to drain the water from time to time. Additionally, crabs need a cool and moist place to be alive, and placing a towel above the ice can help make the environment very moist.

Favorable Temperature: 

By following this technique of keeping the crabs alive, the temperature of the cooler box will be at fifty degrees celsius.

You also need to be mindful to not let the temperature drop to any lower degree than that otherwise, it can create an unfavorable situation for the crabs to be alive. 

Cover the Cooler: 

Lastly, you also need to cover the cooler so that the environment inside the cooler is moist enough for the crabs and if it is not the case then their gills may get dried out which will inhibit their survival.

Additionally, you also need to keep the cooler in a very shaded area to not let direct sunlight come through.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, crabs due to their unique genetic pattern and adaptive skills are able to live for a considerable period of time out of water. The least amount of time they are able to survive is more than 24 hours and the highest can be more than 4 to 5 days.