Head to head
Blue Land Crab vs Coconut Crab
The blue land crab and the coconut crab are both land-dwelling crabs that must still return to the ocean to breed, but their size and lifestyle differ enormously, one a modest burrower, the other the largest terrestrial invertebrate alive.
| Blue Land Crab | Coconut Crab | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cardisoma guanhumi | Birgus latro |
| Size | Smaller | The largest land invertebrate, up to about 4 kg |
| Habitat | Coastal burrows | Tropical islands, including climbing trees |
| Shell as an adult | Has its own shell | No borrowed shell, a hardened abdomen instead |
| Ancestry | Not descended from hermit crabs | Descended from hermit crabs |
| Claw strength | Not exceptionally strong | The strongest pinch force measured in any animal |
| Return to the sea to breed | Yes | Yes |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
Blue Land Crab vs Coconut Crab: common questions
Which is bigger, the blue land crab or the coconut crab?
The coconut crab is dramatically bigger, holding the title of the largest land invertebrate on Earth at up to about 4 kilograms, far exceeding the more modestly sized blue land crab.
Do both the blue land crab and coconut crab need to return to the ocean to breed?
Yes, despite living mainly on land as adults, both species must return to the sea so their eggs or larvae can develop in seawater before coming back to land.
Which has the stronger claw, the blue land crab or the coconut crab?
The coconut crab, whose claw can exert a pinch force considered the strongest grip measured in any animal, far surpassing the blue land crab's more ordinary claw strength.