Hobbies And Interests
Marsh Fiddler Crab
The adult marsh fiddler crab (Uca pugnax) measures up to 1 inch across the shell. Fiddler crabs get their name from the vast size difference in the claws of the male, with the bigger claw resembling a violin. They feed by sifting through mud for decaying organic material. Marsh fiddler crabs live in salt marshes, brackish mud flats, lagoons and swamps -- particularly along the Atlantic coast.
Flattop or Porcelain Crab
The adult flattop crab (Petrolisthes eriomerus), also known as a porcelain crab, measures approximately ¾-inch across the shell. This crab has large, flat pincers and blue thumb joints. Flattop crabs live under rocks on both exposed coasts and protected waters, favoring areas with strong currents. They can also live on kelp and in mussel beds. They are most commonly found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California.
Pea Crab
The adult pea crab (Pinnothera faba) measures about ¾-inch across the shell. Females are slightly larger than males. This crab is usually circular or squared oval in shape. Pea crabs live inside fat gaper clams, scraping plankton from the clams̵7; feeding mucus. You can find pea crabs within clams along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California.
Coral-Gall Crab
The adult coral-gall crab (Hapalocarcinus marsupialis) measures about ½-inch across the shell, if it is an adult female. Males are smaller than females, roughly the size of a grain of rice. Coral-gall crabs live inside colonies of lace coral. They are found primarily in shallow reefs near Hawaii and other tropical islands of the South Pacific.