Page 33 - lukhaup_pekny_invertebrates
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LAND CRABS Right now, around 20 different CRABS
land crab species (Gecarcinidae)
are known. These crabs spend almost their entire life on firm ground.
Only their larvae live in the sea for some time before they return to land
after undergoing metamorphosis. After that point, they are only rarely
found in water. They are distributed in the tropics, in coastal areas and
on islands around most of the world. In their natural habitats, crabs play
an important role in the ecosystem, as they burrow deep in the ground,
helping to keep it aerated and preventing it from compacting, which
greatly benefits local plant populations. Moreover, crabs eat carrion and
dead leaves, which thus are returned to the nutrient cycle faster, and
made available for plants again.
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