Black Clawed Crab

Lophopanopeus bellus

Black Clawed Crab

Lophopanopeus bellus

Other Common Names
Black-clawed pebble crab, Northern black-clawed crab, blackclaw crestleg crab, black-clawed mud crab, black-clawed shore crab, black-fingered crab

Rocky Coast

Other Common Names

Black-clawed pebble crab, Northern black-clawed crab, blackclaw crestleg crab, black-clawed mud crab, black-clawed shore crab, black-fingered crab

At the Aquarium

Rocky Coast

Appearance

They have ten visible legs, with black-tipped claws/chela that are ideal for breaking-shells. The carapace color can be red, orange, green, purple, brown, gray, creamy white, or calico patterned. There are three ‘teeth’ or points at the front corner on each side of the carapace next to the eyes.

Habitat

Intertidal to depths of 262 feet, under rocks, on gravel, or on kelp holdfasts.

Diet

Algae, small mollusks, barnacles, other crabs, and young abalone

Life History

A brood can contain from 6,000 to 36,000 eggs, and many females produce 2 broods a year. In British Columbia, eggs are carried starting from March and hatching occurs from May to August. Larvae are planktonic for a prezoea stage, four zoea stages, and then one megalops stage.

The male carapace reaches 1.3 inches across while females are only up to 0.9 inches across.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

This crab feeds its predators which includes the quillback rockfish

Aleutian Islands, Alaska to central coast of Baja California, Mexico

These can be found in crevices in the lower intertidal zone or among algae holdfasts.

There are two distinct subspecies recognized for this crab. Lophopanopeus bellus bellus lives in the intertidal and has smooth claws while Lophopanopeus bellus diegensis lives subtidally and has tubercles on its claws.

Citations & Other Resources

Ueda, K. (2009, March 31). A Firm Handshake. iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/2742
Harbo, Rick M. Whelks to Whales: Coastal Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing, 2011.
Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
Lamb, Andy, and Bernard P. Hanby. Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes. Harbour Publishing, 2005.
National Park Service: Cabrillo National Monument
SeaLife Base

Black Clawed Crab

Black Clawed Crab

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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