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A Chiayi resident recently brought home a crab to steam. After cracking it open, they discovered 14 shiny objects inside that looked like steel balls. They posted photos online, drawing suspicion that the vendor purposefully added them to increase the weight. But both fishers and experts said that a crab would die if it were stuffed with steel, making the scam near impossible to pull off.

Autumn is the season for enjoying plump, delicious crab, straight from the market. But one crab lover recently found something strange inside their purchase.

After bringing it home to steam, they discovered 14 round objects around the gills and shell resembling small steel balls. The photos drew heated discussion online.

- No, I’ve never seen anything like it. My first thought was that it must be fake.

Hsu Shih-chien
Fisherman
I’ve been fishing for over 60 years. For there to be beads that large inside, they would have had to grow along with the crab. Its mouth is too small. If someone tried to force them in, the crab would have died.

This experienced fisherman noted that it’s anatomically impossible for a crab to swallow steel beads of this size. After seeing the photos, another expert said they could be a natural foreign body, which has been documented in scientific literature.

Hsu Mao-chieh
Dongshi Fish Market merchant
There have been extremely similar cases in the literature, although I’ve never actually seen one in person. Crustaceans have hemocyanin, which contains copper atoms. When the copper atoms are exposed, they can form that grayish-blue color. Still, it’s only something I’ve read about. I’ve never seen an actual specimen. To claim they’re steel balls is impossible.

Although some were suspicious that it was a trick by the vendor to add weight, the low success rate and likelihood of it killing the crab make it unlikely. The debate rages on whether this anomaly is the result of a rare biological mutation or human tampering.

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#crab #seafood #biologicalanomaly #foodsafety #scam #crustacean

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