Being one of the heaviest species of crab, the Tasmanian giant crab, (Pseudocarcinus gigas, sometimes known as the giant deepwater crab, giant southern crab or queen crab), is a species of crab that resides on rocky and muddy bottoms in the oceans off Southern Australia and is the apex creature of its environment. They prefer depths of 360 - 590 feet. They can reach weights of 39 lbs. and a carapace width of up to 18”. These crabs live a slow life due to their size. They eat as many bottom dwellers as they can, helping to build up their extremely thick carapace. Despite being relatively slow, they can slam their giant claws with enough force to crack open mussels and other crabs, although they will feed on carrion. Once every nine years, Tasmanian giant crabs molt their carapace and can be threatened by large species of sharks and seals. People see the crabs as a delicacy, but their harvest is carefully regulated and only specific sizes can be gathered.