Crustacea Resources | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Featured here is Paralomis verrilli, more commonly known as the king crab. Despite assumptions, these crabs are not true crabs, rather they are from the suborder Anomura. These animals only have eight visible legs as opposed to ten true crabs have.
What's On This Crab?
Decorator crabs (superfamily Majoidea) use their claws to collect bits of invertebrates and algae from their environment and attach them to their exoskeletons. They have hooked bristles, or setae, on their carapace that hold the decorations in place. These decorations provide camouflage and chemical defenses to help protect them from predators.
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Crustacea Resources
- Preservation and Handling Instructions for Vernal Pool Crustaceans View here >
- Crustacean Morphology Glossary View here>
- Crustacean Literature Database Search here>