Submitted by CR1MS4NE t3_z73zne in explainlikeimfive
shuvool t1_iy8v5xv wrote
Reply to comment by tblism in ELI5: why fish can’t breathe in air despite air having plenty of oxygen by CR1MS4NE
Crabs have gills under their shell near their legs. They have an appendage that pushes water over them called a scaphognathite and can seal the water inside the shell with articulating plates to keep the gills wet. When they are out of the water and blowing bubbles out of what looks like their mouth, that's the result of them breathing with their gills. As long as they can keep finding more oxygenated water, aquatic crabs can stay out of the water for a surpassing long time, like a day or two. Land crabs have a weird lung gills hybrid organ but they're adapted to land life and just seek out water to keep that organ wet. Coconut crabs are a type of hermit crab that can't swim and will drown in about an hour if they are swept away or fall into water
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