Jack, thanks again for that link! Besides giving me a couple of new (to me) search terms ("chelae" - claws and "force" as a more precise description of strength), I learned this, which may be old hat to the regulars here but I'll post it just in case.
The blue crab has two claws, but they are not the same - one is the "crusher" and one is the "cutter." Usually the smaller one is the cutter, but that depends on whether the other claw has been ripped off and is regenerating.
The Crusher can apply
much more force than the Cutter, though it is slower than the cutter, which is more agile and can catch swimming fish.
Usually the Crusher is the right hand and the Cutter is the left. But if a Crusher gets lost, the existing cutter will swell to become a Crusher, and the regenerated claw will become a new cutter, and the crab becomes a lefty. Hence the innate inferiority of southpaws...
[Ha! sorry lefties, both my parents are "wrong handed" and I couldn't resist the dig]
The Crusher is used to crush mollusks, the cutter is used to help harvest the flesh. So the surmise is that when a crab loses his crusher and is left with only one claw - a cutter, that claw will get stronger, and turn into a "Crusher" as he tries to feed himself while the other claw regenerates, and when it does that will become a cutter.
Apparently, in the adult population the ratio is 85% "normal" right-handed crabs and 15% southpaws.
Not going anywhere in particular with this just thought it was interesting.
-Paul
P.S. Takeaway message, if you are going to get pinched and have a choice,
don't get pinched by the crusher. They crush live mussels with those fingers, could you do that with yours?...
