In mud crabs, food location is reported to be by contact chemoreception using the
dactyls of their walking legs. The anatomy of mud crab legs is typical of the family
Portunidae, with the fifth pair of walking legs flattened into paddle-like structures that
are used in swimming. Mud crabs have the ability to release legs or claws if handled
roughly (autotomy) and can regenerate these limbs; however, it usually takes two or
more moults for the regenerated limbs to regain the same size as limbs that have not
been subject to autotomy