Cancer antennarius
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| Pacific rock crab | ||||||||||||||||
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| Cancer antennarius Stimpson, 1856 |
Cancer antennarius, commonly known as the Pacific or California rock crab, is a crab of the genus Cancer found on the western coast of North America.
[edit] Description
Cancer antennarius has a fan-shaped carapace with eleven teeth to either side of the eyestalks, the widest point falling at the eighth or ninth tooth. The chelipeds are quite stout with the black tips bent downward. The antennae are long and prominent, accounting for the specific name. The dorsal surfaces of adults are uniformly red, but the ventral surface of the carapace is spotted.
This species is easily confused with the red rock crab, C. productus. They can be distinguished by the less prominent antennae, less robust claws, and lack of ventral spots on the latter.
