A resident of Tianjin recently bought 4.2 kg of crabs only to find that the ropes tied around the creatures accounted for one third of the total weight.
Hu paid 588 yuan ($86) for the crabs, which means the seller charged him 196 yuan for 1.4 kg of rope.
The retailer who sold the crabs to Hu said the ropes ensure the crabs don't fight with each other.
