Eric and I have encountered several of these small decorator crabs during the last month or so. We don't recall seeing them before (in the intertidal zone in the Bodega Bay area), so I'm posting a photo for the record.
It's possible we've missed them, or that they more often occur in subtidal areas. And maybe a lot of juveniles survived this year, so they're showing up in more places and in sites where they're not as commonly seen in most years.
Perhaps it's even hard to tell that this is a crab? Meet the Masking Crab (Loxorhynchus crispatus). "Masking" because they attach algae and bits of other animals to their rostrum and carapace (e.g., sea squirts and sponges) and the decorations serve as excellent camouflage.
The individuals we've seen this summer are all smaller juveniles, only ~2 cm across. Photographed on 6 July 2023.
Interesting! How large do these crabs get, and do they maintain their camouflage coverings even when
ReplyDeletefully grown? Edible? That could add a whole new dimension to "cleaning a crab"
Thanks for the questions!
ReplyDeleteThese are large crabs as adults -- the carapace alone can be 3-5" across.
Yes, they continue to decorate as adults.
Yes, I believe they're edible. Note that these crabs are algae eaters, so their claws are much smaller (for tearing seaweeds) than a crab that uses its claws for crushing.
:) Jackie