How long can crabs live off the body?

Crabs typically do not remain alive when separated from their bodies. Upon removal from the body, vital organs and structures that sustain life, such as the brain, heart, digestive system, and respiratory mechanisms, are no longer able to function. Without these key parts functioning together, an individual crab, or more accurately, crab segments in this situation, cannot carry out essential processes necessary for survival and quickly enters a state of decay.