Question

While cleaning a saltwater aquarium, students placed a family of fiddler crabs from the saltwater aquarium into a container of distilled water. What effect will this have on the crabs?

Answer 1

The crabs will die if left in fresh water, the cells will burst. Did this help??

Answer 2

The saltwater crabs are used to a salt concentration in the water. Their cells contain the same salt concentration be keep osmotic balance. When they're placed in distilled water, the salt concentration in their cells is higher then the salt concentration in the water. Water will go in the cells in an attempt to restore the osmotic balance until the cells will rupture and the crabs will die.