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Taliepus nuttallii
Red crab that was found upside down so we flipped it over & took a pic. This crab recently molted making it soft and very venerable to predators. We only got one pic before a wave swept it away.... and got me all wet :) This crab has a "very rounded carapace that has lateral teeth reduced to small bumps and a smooth surface that is not decorated. They reach a maximum length of 3.6 inches for the male and 1.8 inches for the females. They vary in color from yellow-orange to dark purple, to reddish-brown." - Mexfish
Tidepools in La Jolla
"They are best known for their habit of camouflaging themselves with bits of algae, sponges, bryozoans, or other animals. These attachments are also believed to provide a defensive mechanism as they change the way the crab feels, smells, and tastes to a predator, with many of the attachments being noxious. They also have the ability to molt their shells to rid themselves of unwanted attachments." - Mexfish This makes this crab Wildlife with Innovative Defenses!
5 Comments
Shiny!!
S Frazier, I swear you commented but it disappeared. I laughed! I FINALLY learned that crabs are arthropods!
Emma, that explains it! It did a good job once right-side-up.
these guys like to play dead.
It was definitely alive. Its legs were flailing around while on its back. We flipped it and it moved a little just before the wave.
Did it appear to be alive? If it was 'soft',it may have just molted.