Sandflat Elbow Crab

Common Name: Sandflat Elbow Crab

Scientific Name: Heterocrypta occidentalis

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family: Animalia, Arthropoda, Malacostraca, Decapoda, Parthenopidae

Habitat: Sand bottoms, intertidal to subtidal zones with depth ~21 meters,

Range: Monterey to San Diego, California

Identification: Purple ridges along triangular carapace with white bumps, elongated arms with defined elbow, pink, yellow and white coloration

Reproduction: Eggs develop underneath the female’s abdomen, courting occurs through sensory cues such as smell and touch.