A team at the University of Queensland says its study has identified more than just some crabby behaviour. It found that crabs who live in low-competition areas have large but weak claws to discourage others from fighting with them.
"This study is important because it reveals the general principles behind how liars and cheats are controlled and encouraged in nature.
"Whether it's a soccer player diving to fool a referee or a crab trying to intimidate a rival with weak claws, our lab has shown that individuals cheat more when their deception is likely to go undetected," said team leader Dr Robbie Wilson.
Researchers said they found that more males bluff their way through fights when they are less likely to get caught.
"When there are lots of crabs living in one area, there is lots of competition for resources like females and food. High competition means there is a greater chance of males having to fight each other to win resources compared to when there are not many crabs about.
Those crabs might not have to fight at all. Crabs that have strong claws will generally win fights. Producing large and strong claws is important to their survival. Where crabs are likely to have to fight a lot, the crabs are producing large, strong, reliable claws.
"We found that when there are not many other male crabs in a population (low competition), males produce large but relatively weak claws (unreliable), as they don't have to fight as often and ultimately because they can get away with it," Candice Bywater, a team member, said.
