Health officials in a satellite clinic in Barangay Luzviminda, Puerto Princesa City, have warned residents not to catch and eat “devil crabs” after a female resident allegedly died after consuming it.
The incident was recorded on February 6 when patient Emma Amit of Zigzag 2 was brought to the Luzviminda Satellite Clinic for immediate intervention.
The devil crab, also known as the toxic reef crab (Zosimus aeneus), is not safe for consumption because it contains toxins that do not disappear even after cooking or boiling for several hours.
Barangay Captain and ABC President Laddy Gemang urged residents and the public to refrain from catching and eating the poisonous crab to avoid serious health risks.
The new case followed an incident that happened in Brgy. Ransang, Dr. Jose P. Rizal town on October 7, 2025. A 54-year-old fisherman was poisoned when he ate what was believed to be a devil crab.
The fisherman had just returned from a fishing trip and ate the devil crabs he caught. He later experienced numbness in his face, which spread to his entire body.
“Nung matapos na niya kumain ng alimasag, mga bandang 9:30, nakaramdam na siya ng hirap huminga,” his son, Abdul Dumaan, narrated then.
“Nanginginig yung kanyang mukha hanggang sa buong katawan,” he added.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said there are two types of poisonous crabs: the devil crab (Zosimus aeneus) and the floral egg crab (Atergatis floridus).
Experts said the devil crab, also known as the toxic reef crab, is considered poisonous because it contains toxins that are a natural part of its body.
These toxins do not come from what the crab eats but are produced by its body as a defense against predators.
One of the toxins found in the crab is tetrodotoxin, and in some cases saxitoxin. Both are powerful neurotoxins also found in some species of pufferfish and shellfish.
These toxins have no taste, no smell, and do not disappear even after cooking, making the crab dangerous to eat even when exposed to high heat.
