Interactions Between Crabs and the Environment: Progress and Prospects From a Behavioral Perspective

ABSTRACT As ecosystem engineers, crab behaviors not only reflect the physiological state and welfare of individuals but also act as regulators influencing the function and stability of aquaculture systems. However, research on the behavioral responses of cultured crabs to environmental factors remains incomplete, and studies on how their behaviors affect the environment are even more limited. To enhance productivity, welfare, and environmental sustainability and provide theoretical support for the optimization of crab culture systems, it is essential to clarify the interactions between the behavior of crabs and the environmental factors. This review synthesizes and summarizes the major environmental factors, physical (temperature, substrate and shelter, sound, hydrostatic pressure), chemical (dissolved oxygen, ammonia, pH, pollutants, salinity), and biological (prey, conspecifics, polyculture species, pathogens), and their impacts on various behavioral patterns of crabs, including feeding, foraging, grooming, mating, aggressive, territorial, burying, burrowing, sheltering behavior, and cannibalism. Decoding sensory processing and behavioral mechanisms in crabs is pivotal for breakthroughs in intelligent and welfare‐oriented crab culture. Additionally, we summarize the disturbances caused by crab behaviors—such as burrowing, feeding, and social interactions—on substrate water characteristics, microbial composition, and polyculture species. Based on these insights, we list future research and applications in crab behavior, including precise behavioral monitoring, group behavior evaluation, and aquaculture environmental management. We hope this review will encourage greater attention to the behavior of cultured animals, promoting the application of behavioral studies in crab culture and providing theoretical support for the industry's high‐quality development.