Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus)

Description: As its name suggests, this crab is brick-red in color, although juvenile red rock crabs range from white to dark, with the darker juveniles sometimes having a white-striped pattern on their shell. Adult red rock crabs also have black claw tips. Males tend to be about 20 centimeters (almost 8 inches) wide, and females are usually 15.5 centimeters (about 6 inches) wide.

Habitat: The red rock crab is found along the Pacific Coast of North America from Alaska down to Mexico. Along these coastlines, it prefers habitats with rocky and soft sediments.

Diet: In their rocky and sandy habitats, red rock crabs hunt for invertebrates to eat, such as snails, clams, barnacles, and more. Predators of red rock crabs include certain fish and seabird species. 

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• Red rock crabs have one of the strongest pinching forces compared to other crabs! This helps them break through the shells of the mollusks and crustaceans they eat.

• Sometimes, juvenile red rock crabs can be mistaken for Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister). One way to tell these two species apart is to see where their carapace (their shell) is the widest. On a Dungeness crab, the carapace is widest at the 10th (and last) tooth back from the eyes. On a red rock crab, the widest point lines up with the 8th tooth on the carapace.

Reference: Central Coast Biodiversity