Striped Shore Crab
(Pachygrapsus crassipes)
These crabs spend about half of their time in the water
and half on land.
We were walking along the beach at La Jolla Shores
one evening just at dark
when we noticed a little
tiny crab walking along... see him?
© 2002
John H. Moore
Here's what he looked like from a closer view.
© 2002 John H. Moore
And here he is rinsed off.
© 2002
John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore
They also like to hide in holes in/near tidepools:
© 2002 John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore
Here's one eating a bee:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography recently had some
of these crabs in their aquarium;
the following
shots were taken in a lab.
Color variations.
© 2002 John H.
Moore
An egg-bearing female.
© 2002 John
H. Moore
A juvenile.
© 2002 John H. Moore
© 2002 John H. Moore