Here you will find a list of frequently asked questions regarding the blue crab. My husband is telling me it was something I did wrong, but I know something was up with the crabs. This is a very common occurrence and is not the result of your cooking technique. Click here for more information on this subject.
Crabs use their gills to take oxygen out of the water, much like a fish.
However, crabs can survive for long periods out of water, and some live almost exclusively on land. As long as a crab can keep its gills moist, oxygen from the air will diffuse into the moisture, and then into the gills. One way to keep their gills from drying out is to seek out cool, dark and moist hiding places when on land. This way they can keep breathing and stay hidden from predators. Also, they have articulating plates around their gills that help seal them in and prevent drying out.