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11. The Massive Coconut Crab: Island Giant of the Seas
The coconut crab (Birgus latro), Earth's largest land arthropod, is an evolutionary wonder. Found on Indian and Pacific Ocean islands, this colossal crab can weigh over 9 pounds (4 kg) and span 3 feet leg to leg.
Though named for coconuts, it eats fruits, nuts, carrion, and small creatures. Its mighty claws crack coconuts, fetched by climbing trees and dropping them to break open.
Fully land-adapted, it breathes via a branchiostegal lung but returns to sea to spawn eggs, which hatch as planktonic larvae before moving ashore.
Habitat loss and overharvesting threaten its numbers, listing it as vulnerable. Conservation is key to save this vital island ecosystem player.
