Always in battle mode, small but fierce

Stream crabs are mainly distributed in tropical regions and extend to subtropical and temperate marginal regions. There are more than 200 species and subspecies of freshwater crabs in palaearctic, Oriental and Oceanian regions.

Most of them are under the rocks of mountain streams or between the water grass and sand on both sides of the stream banks. Some also live in caves on the banks of rivers, lakes and ditches. They do not remain submerged for long, but live semi-terrestrial lives near water or in moist places. Omnivorous, but prefer meat, mainly to fish, shrimp, insects, snails and dead rotten rotten animal corpses for food. Sometimes they devour their own kind, especially soft-shelled crabs that have just shed their shells. The breeding season for creek crabs varies from April to September, depending on the region.