Scientific Name:
Pachygrapsus crassipes
Description
Small (5 cm/2 in wide) crab that lives in rocky cracks and tide pools. It has a black and green lined body with purple legs and claws, often fading to orange in front.
Behaviors
Feeds primarily on algae, but will also scavenge on dead animal matter and prey on smaller crabs and snails.
Fun Facts
Like other arthropods (animals with hard shells, like lobsters and shrimp), the lined shore crab must molt (shed) its outer shell in order to grow. When crabs molt, they are very soft and vulnerable to predators.
Nature Topics
Related Media
Photo credit: ©Kip Evans
