Biodiversity of the Central Coast
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Crustaceans

This group includes crabs, shrimp, hermit crabs, isopods, amphipods, and barnacles (and others). These animals have jointed, chitinous exoskeletons and segmented bodies, though segmentation may not always be obvious or visible. Click here to learn more about crustaceans.

Crabs

Grouped here are the true crabs (bracyurans) — distinguished by having five pairs of legs, two of which are modified into claws — as well as the porcelain and lithodid crabs (lithodes = rock-like). On these crabs the fifth pair of legs is reduced or absent.
Red rock crab (Cancer productus)

Red rock crab (Cancer productus)

Dungeness crab  (Cancer magister)

Dungeness crab 
(Cancer magister)

Purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus)

Purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus)

Hairy shore crab (Hemigrapsus oregonensis)

Hairy shore crab (Hemigrapsus oregonensis)

Graceful kelp crab (Pugettia gracilis)

Graceful 
kelp crab
(Pugettia gracilis)

Northern kelp crab  (Pugettia producta)

Northern 
kelp crab 
(Pugettia producta)

Cryptic kelp crab (Pugettia richii)

Cryptic kelp crab (Pugettia richii)

Foliate kelp crab (Mimulus foliatus)

Foliate kelp crab (Mimulus foliatus)

Slender decorator crab (Oregonia gracilis)

Slender decorator crab (Oregonia gracilis)

Longhorn decorator crab (Chorilia longipes)

Longhorn decorator crab (Chorilia longipes)

Sharp-nosed crab (Scyra acutafrons)

Sharp-nosed crab 
(Scyra acutafrons)

Helmet crab (Telmessus cheiragonus)

Helmet crab (Telmessus cheiragonus)

Heart crab (Phyllolithodes papillosus)

Heart crab (Phyllolithodes papillosus)

Pygmy rock crab (Glebocarcinus oregonensis)

Pygmy rock crab (Glebocarcinus oregonensis)

Flat porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes)

Flat porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes)

Flattop crab (Petrolisthes eriomerus)

Flattop crab (Petrolisthes eriomerus)

Gaper pea crab (Pinnixa littoralis)

Gaper pea crab
(Pinnixa littoralis)

Butterfly crab (Cryptolithodes typicus)

Butterfly crab (Cryptolithodes typicus)

Umbrella crab (Cryptolithodes sitchensis)

Umbrella crab (Cryptolithodes sitchensis)

Puget Sound king crab (Lopholithodes mandtii)

Puget Sound king crab (Lopholithodes mandtii​)

Grooved mussel crab (Fabia subquadrata)

Grooved mussel crab (Fabia subquadrata)

Spiny lithode crab (Acantholithodes hispidus)

Spiny lithode crab (Acantholithodes hispidus)

Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi)

Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi)

Granular claw crab  (Oedignathus inermis)

Granular 
claw crab 
(Oedignathus inermis)


Hermit crabs

Hermit crabs, which are closely related to lithodid crabs, have a soft, elongated abdomen which they hide inside an empty sea snail shell or a similar hollow object — even one made by humans.
Hairy hermit crab (Pagurus hirsutiusculus)

Hairy hermit crab (Pagurus 
​hirsutiusculus
)

Blackeyed hermit ​(Pagarus armatus)

Blackeyed hermit
​
(Pagarus armatus)

Grainyhand hermit (Pagurus graniosimanus)

Grainyhand hermit (Pagurus graniosimanus)

Widehand hermit (Elassochirus teniumanus)

Widehand hermit (Elassochirus teniumanus)

Bering hermit (Pagurus beringanus)

Bering hermit
​
(Pagurus beringanus)

Blueband hermit (Pagurus samuelis)

Blueband hermit (Pagurus samuelis)


Shrimp

Grouped here are the shrimp, prawns, eualids, and others belonging to Infraorder Caridae, as well as the mud and ghost shrimp, which belong to Infraorder Thalassinidea.
Spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros)

Spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros)

Coonstripe shrimp (Pandalus danae)

Coonstripe shrimp (Pandalus hypsinotus)

Blue mud shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis)

Blue mud shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis)

Sponge eualid (Eualus butleri)

Sponge eualid
​
(Eualus butleri)


Amphipods and Isopods

Isopods are dorso-ventrally compressed, meaning their bodies are fairly flat. Amphipods on the other hand are laterally compressed, giving them a more shrimp-like form.
Kelp isopod  (Idotea wosnesenskii)

Kelp isopod 
(Idotea wosnesenskii)

Eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata)

Eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata)

Sea slater (Ligia pallasi)

Sea slater (Ligia pallasi)

Pink beach hopper (Maera danae)

Pink beach hopper
(Maera danae)

Beach hopper (Traskorchestia traskiana)

Beach hopper (Traskorchestia traskiana)

Pale beach hopper (Megalorchestia columbiana)

Pale beach hopper (Megalorchestia columbiana)

Water-line isopod, scavanging isopod (Excirolana chiltoni)

Water-line isopod
(Excirolana chiltoni)

Tube-dwelling sea flea (​Ericthonius rubricornis)

Tube-dwelling sea flea (Ericthonius rubricornis)


Barnacles

Beneath their hard outer shell casing, barnacles are vaguely shrimp-like with legs that are modified into feeding appendages (cirri); these are the appendages that can be seen emerging from the shell when the top movable shell plates open. Barnacles casings are either directly attached to a substrate, or are attached via a stalk (peduncle). 
Pelagic goose barnacle (Lepas anatifera)

Pelagic goose barnacle
(Lepas anatifera & Lepas hillii)

Goose neck barnacle (Pollicipes polymerus)

Goose neck barnacle
(Pollicipes polymerus)

Acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula)

Acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula)

Thatched barnacle (Semibalanus cariosus)

Thatched barnacle (Semibalanus cariosus)

Giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilus)

Giant acorn barnacle
(Balanus nubilus)

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