Cangrejo, meaning crab in English, derives from the Latin word cancer, which refers to the marine creature we call crab. This little creature that scuttles sideways along the beach and waves its pincers around comes in all shapes and colours. Let’s learn more about them!
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
Cangrego is a masculine noun, and it takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el cangrejo = a crab
- los cangrejos = the crabs
- un cangrejo = a crab
- unos cangrejos = some crabs
Mi prima encontró un cangrejo en la arena durante nuestra excursión.
My cousin found a crab in the sand during our excursion.
Cangrejos are crustáceos (crustaceans) with distinctive features. Their body is flat and covered by an exoesqueleto (exoskeleton) known as a carapacho (carapace). This carapace provides protection against predators and functions like armour. They can be various colours that help them camuflajear (camouflage) themselves. Some are vibrant reds and blues while others are brown or green depending on their environment.
Another characteristic of cangrejos is they possess ten limbs with five pairs of legs and pinzas (pincers) called quelas (chelae) for grasping, defence, and feeding. Their eyes are mounted on stalks, allowing them a wide vision field. This helps them spot depredadores (predators) and to cazar (prey) on animals.
El cangrejo se movió rápidamente por la arena de la playa.
The crab moved quickly across the sand on the beach.
Crabs live in diverse environments. Some of their hábitats (habitats) include rivers, lakes, oceans, and land. However, they are predominantly animales marinos (marine animals), meaning they are mostly found in coastal areas such as oceans, coral reefs, tide pools, sandy and rocky areas, and vegetation. Some crabs have ventured far from water and have adapted to terrestrial life, living in sand or rocks further away from the sea.
Some types of crabs include:
- cangrejo azul = blue crab: found in estuaries along the Atlantic coast of the United States
- cangrejo rey = king crab: found in deep waters in colder regions like the Bering Sea
- cangrejo de coco = coconut crab: found on land with special gills to breathe air
- cangrejo violinista =fiddler crab: found in intertidal zones and known for its courtship displays and asymmetrical claws
El cangrejo violinista usa su gran pinza para atraer a las hembras.
The fiddler crab uses its large claw to attract females.
Fun Fact:
The coconut crab, or cangrejo de coco, can climb trees! Their impressive strength allows them to scale up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) to find coconuts, which they love to eat.
Though some cangrejos are solitarios (solitary), most are sociable (sociable). They often live in groups called colonias (colonies). You can find cangrejos burrowing themselves in the sand or mud when you are out on the beach. These omnivores feed on algae, small fish, plankton, and mollusks using their pinzas (pincers) to capture their prey.
Spanish idioms featuring ‘cangrejo’
Más cangrejo que un cangrejo
Literal translation: more crab than a crab
English meaning: someone stubborn or resistant to change
Echarse a cangrejo
Literal translation: take a crab
English meaning: a reference to someone who retreats or avoids confrontation (similar to how crabs scuttle sideways to evade danger)
