Video of knife-wielding crab goes viral

The crab can be seen clutching a blue kitchen knife. Photo / YouTube

Armed with a kitchen knife and an attitude to match, this crab is not to be messed with.

Dubbed the "Gangster crab", the 30-second YouTube video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.

Clasping a blue knife, the crustacean is seen backing away from a man trying to take hold of the weapon.

Commenters seemed to be backing the little guy with one saying: "Crab Straight Out of Compton."

Another said: "He grew up in the rough part of the reef."

One seemed concerned by the future repercussions of the incident writing: "Human violence has officially influenced the animal kingdom.

"Soon we'll have llamas with baseball bats dragging people out of their cars driving to llama strip clubs."

- nzherald.co.nz