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Invertebrates: Arthropods: Crabs

Crabs are arthropods, which are invertebrates with a segmented body, jointed appendages and an exoskeleton. The crabs in this gallery are too numerous to list, but include everything from our trusted beach friend the hermit crab to creatures with names like "broadback sumo crab" and "mottled purse crab."

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Acadian hermit crab (<em>Pagurus acadianus</em>) is immediately recognizable from the broad longitudinal red bands on its claws. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/acadian_hermit_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Jonah crab (<em>Cancer borealis</em>) caught during the 2009 monkfish survey cruise. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Anne Richards. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/jonah_crab_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Spiny deep-sea king crab of the genus Neolithodes. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Mike Vecchione. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/deepsea_king_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Speckled lady crab (<em>Ovalipes ocellatus</em>) juvenile caught in the bongo net during an inshore southern plankton tow. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jerry Prezioso. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/ladycrab_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Northern stone crab (<em>Lithodes maja</em>). Credit: NOAA Fisheries. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/nstonecrab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Northern stone crab (<em>Lithodes maja</em>). Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Heidi Marotta. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/nstonecrab2_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Female red crab (<em>Chaeceon quinquedens</em>) with eggs. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Anne Richards. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/redcrab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Red crab (<em>Chaeceon quinquedens</em>). Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Anne Richards. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/redcrab2_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Red crabs (<em>Chaeceon quinquedens</em>). Credit: NOAA Fisheries. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/redcrab3_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Bathyal swimming crab (<em>Bathynectes longispina</em>) occurs on the outer continental shelf, continental slope, and seamounts along the Atlantic coasts of the U.S. and Europe, in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/bathyal_swimming_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Bearded carrier crab (<em>Homola barbata</em>) is found on sandy, muddy, and shelly bottoms on the outer continental shelf and slope on both sides of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/bearded_carrier_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Swimming crab (Portunus species) belongs to one of several species of swimming crabs, common on the northeast continental shelf and in estuaries. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/swimming_crab_juvenile1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Tufted broadfaced crab (<em>Frevillia hirsuta</em>), a deepwater mud crab, creates burrows in muddy or clay bottoms and is often associated with the burrows of tilefish. Credit: NOAA Fisheries. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/tufted_broadfaced_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Spinous elbow crab (<em>Platyambrus pourtalesii</em>), found on muddy, sandy, shelly, and gravelly bottoms on the continental shelf, is remarkable for its triangular body and relatively small legs and enormous claws. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/spinous_elbow_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ A snow crab (<em>Chionoecetes opili</em>) on top of shrimp (mostly <em>Dichelopandalus leptocerus</em>) during the summer's annual Gulf of Maine shrimp survey conducted by the R/V <em>Gloria Michelle</em>. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Heidi Marotta. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/snowcrab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Stilt crab (Palicus species) lives in muddy continental slope habitats. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/stilt_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Striped porcelain crab. Credit: NOAA Fisheries. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/striped_porcelain_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Broadback sumo crab (<em>Ethusa microphthalma</em>), a peculiar, burly crab from the outer continental shelf and upper slope, has tiny eyes. The first two pairs of legs are very strong; the last two pairs are small and held above the body. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/broadback_sumo_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Broadback sumo crab (<em>Ethusa microphthalma</em>) juvenile -- A miniature version of the adult. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/broadback_sumo_crab_juv1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Daddy longlegs crab (<em>Latreillia manningi</em>) has a long 'neck,' long eyestalks, and exceptionally long legs. It is moderately common on the outer continental shelf and upper slope of the western Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/daddy_longlegs_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Deep sea red crab (<em>Chaceon quinquidens</em>), Commercially fished with traps, is very numerous on the continental slope at depths between 200 and 1800 meters from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/deepsea_red_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Fivespine purse crab (<em>Myropsis quinquespinosa</em>) -- This peach-colored crab is found on the continental slope from Massachusetts to Brazil. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/fivespine_purse_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Gladiator box crab (<em>Acanthocarpus alexandri</em>) is common on the outer continental shelf. Remarkable for the large spines on the 'wrists' of its claws. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/gladiator_box_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Inflated spiny crab (<em>Rochinia crassa</em>) can have a leg-span of 120 cm (4 ft) and occurs from Massachusetts to South America on sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental slope. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/inflated_spiny_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Jonah crab (<em>Cancer borealis</em>), along with its cousin <em>Cancer irroratus</em>, is the most abundant and widespread type of large crab on the continental shelf. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/jonah_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Minute hermit crab (Catapagurus species). Two species of tiny hermit crabs (<em>C. sharreri and C. gracilis</em>) occur in large numbers on sandy bottoms on the outer shelf, often together, and are difficult to distinguish. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/minute_hermit_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Mottled purse crab (<em>Persephona mediterranea</em>) buries itself in sandy or muddy sediments on continental shelves from New Jersey to Uruguay. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/mottled_purse_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Porcupine crab (Neolithodes species), very prickly relative of the Alaska king crab, is found in small numbers on the continental slope throughout the northeast. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/porcupine_king_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Raker crab (<em>Euprognatha rastellifera</em>) is a tiny crab found in large numbers on the outer continental shelf. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/raker_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Red brocade hermit crab (<em>Dardanus insignus</em>) is a rare southern visitor from the southeastern U.S. This specimen has been removed from its snail shell to reveal the entire body of the crab. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/red_brocade_hermitcrab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Robust crab (<em>Collodes robustus</em>), a little spider crab, lives on the outer continental shelf and upper slope, typically plasters its body with mud and debris for camouflage. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/robust_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Arctic lyre crab (<em>Hyas coarctaticus</em>), also called the contracted crab, has a circumpolar distribution and lives on sandy and gravel on continental shelves and slopes. This small specimen (missing claws) has a sponge covering its back. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/arctic_lyre_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ False squareback crab (<em>Chacellus filiformis</em>), a large burrowing mud crab, is frequently associated with tilefish burrows. It has hairy patches on its claws, caked with mud in this specimen. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/false_squareback_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼ Smooth hermit crab (<em>Pagurus politus</em>) is found on the outer continental shelf and slope from Massachusetts to Florida. In deep water it may be associated with Anthozoans (anemones) rather than snail shells. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida. <a href='invertebrates/arthropods/smooth_hermit_crab1_fullsize.jpg'> Download largest ▼