Public warned vs consuming devil crabsPhoto of the devil crab (left) and the floral egg crab (right) posted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 9 on its Facebook page on July 8, 2023MANILA, Philippines — The public has been warned against eating devil crabs after a content creator died from consuming the seafood in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said that devil crabs live in coral reefs and are reportedly seen in Albay, Batangas, Ilocos, La Union, Marinduque, Palawan, Quezon, Sorsogon and Zamboanga as well as in the islands of Mindoro and Panay. The crab can grow to 50 to 100 millimeters and its shell has eye-like, brown spots. The BFAR said that devil crabs have tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, which serves as their defense mechanism against their predators. Symptoms of poisoning included paralysis, numbness in the tongue and difficulty in breathing,” the bureau said.

Source: Philippine Star February 14, 2026 16:20 UTC