Sheep Crab

Description:

Large white, yellow and blue crab. This one was found dead. "Large and slow moving, a sheep crab crawls along on long legs, which are segmented by big, knobby joints. Its oval-shaped body (carapace) tapers to spinelike points on its snout (rostrum), which bends sharply downward. Spines and bumps (tubercles) cover its body. Adult male sheep crabs have more formidable claws and longer legs than females. These animals are the largest members of the California spider crabs (Majidae). carapace up to 6.5 inches (17 cm) in males, up to 4.5 inches (11 cm) wide in females" - MontereyBayAquarium

Habitat:

Found washed ashore on beach and was placed on rock when we found it. They live in reefs & pilings from Pt. Reyes, California to Baja California in water 20 to 500 feet deep (6 m to 152 m)

Notes:

"Male sheep crabs spend the winter in deep water. In early spring, both sexes migrate to shallow water. Sheep crabs aren’t social animals but, in spring mating season, divers see adult females in piles surrounded by adult males. Since females can store sperm for multiple broods, they can continue to fertilize eggs even in the absence males. Broods can contain 125,000 to 500,000 eggs. Like all crustaceans, sheep crabs molt, or shed, their old, too-small shell. They grow a soft shell under the old carapace, back out of it, and then take in water to expand the new soft shell. In a short time the new shell hardens, and the crab has room to grow. Some species of crabs molt their entire lives, but adult sheep crabs have a terminal molt. After this molt, they’re unable to increase in size or regenerate lost limbs." - http://www.montereybayaquarium.org