Crab vs Lobster Claws: The Crusher Clue

An American lobster can carry two completely different claws, and the larger one has a secret job. The American lobster holds both claws out in front, on long arms. Now meet the brown crab, a common crab around British shores. Its stout claws sit close to its broad body, with dark tips that grip and crush food. Both animals use claws to grab food and defend themselves. Both have hard outer shells, and both can regrow a lost claw over time. But look closely at the lobster: one claw has sharp edges for cutting, while the other is broad and heavy. Set a hard-shelled clam in front of it, and that broad claw comes into its own. Remember: the cutter slices; the crusher squeezes. The larger claw is the crusher, built to crack hard shells with its blunt teeth.