Purple shore crab facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purple shore crab
Scientific classification

The purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus) is a common type of crab. It belongs to a family of crabs called Varunidae. You can find these crabs hiding under rocks. They live in areas along the west coast of North America. This area stretches from Alaska all the way down to Baja California in Mexico. These crabs mostly eat sea lettuce and other green algae. Sometimes, they also eat dead animals they find.

What Does the Purple Shore Crab Look Like?

The purple shore crab is a small crab. It usually grows to be about 4.0 to 5.6 centimeters wide. Its top shell, called a carapace, is often dark purple. However, it can also be olive green or red. This shell often has white or cream-colored marks.

The crab's legs are the same color as its shell. But its claws, called chelipeds, are lighter. They have purple or red spots on them. These spots are important! They help you tell the purple shore crab apart from another similar crab. That crab is the lined shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes, which does not have spots on its claws.

The legs of the purple shore crab are smooth. They do not have tiny hairs, called setae. This is how you can tell it apart from another similar crab, H. oregonensis, which does have these hairs.

See also

• In Spanish: Cangrejo costero morado para niños