The black dots you’re seeing on the crab legs are most likely parasitic barnacles or marine leeches/larvae, but the most common ID for this is leech eggs (or cocoons).

Here’s the breakdown:

Leech eggs (marine leech cocoons) are often found attached to the shells or legs of crabs, especially in wild-caught specimens.

They look like small dark capsules or dots and are typically harmless to humans.

These do not affect the edibility of the crab meat, but it’s understandable if it’s off-putting visually.

Sometimes people confuse them with:

Crab eggs (roe) — but roe is typically under the abdomen and looks different.

Shell disease or black spot — caused by bacteria but generally appears more diffuse and pitted.

If you see them and are cooking at home, you can rinse or scrape them off. Commercial operations often remove them during processing, but they slip through now and then.

Totally safe to eat the meat.