Author: Ken Jones

California Spiny Lobster

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda  Spiny Lobster—Family Palinuridae Species: Panulirus interruptus (Randall, 1840); interruptus refers to the grooves on the abdomen which are interrupted in this species. Alternate Name: Bugs, crayfish, marine crayfish, rock lobster and red lobster. In Mexico called langosta mexicana or…

Kelp Crab aka Northern Kelp Crab

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda Crabs—Superfamily Majoidea (Spider Crabs) — Family Epialtidae — Genus Pugettia  Species: Pugettia producta, (Stimpson, 1857); Pugettia (Puget Sound) producta (product of). Alternate Name: Shield-back crab, northern kelp crab, northern lame crab, and spider crab. Called spider crabs due to…

Sheep Crab aka Spider Crab

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda Crabs—Superfamily Majoidea (Spider Crabs) — Family Epialtidae — Genus Loxorhynchus  Species: Loxorhynchus grandis, (Stimpson, 1857): Loxorhynchus (bent nose) grandis (large). Alternate Name: Spider crab and California king crab. Identification: Sheep crabs have a large, hard oval-shaped carapace shell that…

Red Crab aka Red Rock Crab

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda — Crabs  Family Cancridae (Cancer Crabs) — Genus Cancer Species: Cancer productus (Randall, 1839). Alternate Names: Red crab or red rock crab. Identification: Red crabs have a wide, hard shell with large, black-tipped pincers on the claws. The hands…

Yellow Crab aka Yellow Rock Crab

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda Crabs — Family Cancridae (Cancer Crabs) — Genus Cancer Species: Cancer anthonyi, (Rathbun, 1897). (Alternate Metacarcinus anthonyi). The name honors Alfred Webster Anthony, a naturalist working in San Diego. Alternate Names: Yellow crab and yellow rock crab Identification: Yellow…

Slender Crab aka Graceful Crab

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda Crabs — Family Cancridae (Cancer Crabs) — Genus Cancer Species: Cancer gracilis (Dana, 1852). (Alternate Metacarcinus gracilis). Alternate Name: Graceful rock crab. Identification: The slender crab has a very broad and oval-shaped shell with dull tooth-like protrusions toward the…

Dungeness Crab

  Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) — Order Decapoda Crabs — Family Cancridae (Cancer Crabs) — Genus Cancer   Photo ID courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Species: Cancer magister (Dana, 1852) Some scientists, based on the shapes of the teeth of the carapace,…

Pacific Glasseye

Phylum: Chordata — Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)— Order: Perciformes (perch like)— Family: Priacanthidae  (bigeyes or catalufas)— Genus: Heteropriacanthus (Fitch and Crooke, 1984) Species:   Heteropriacanthus carolinus  (Cuvier, 1829); from  the Greek heteros (different), prion (saw), and akantha (thorn) and the Latin carolinus (in reference to geographic…

Largemouth Blenny

Phylum: Chordata — Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) — Order: Perciformes (perch like)— Family: Labrisomidae  (blennies) — Genus: Labrisomus Species: Labrisomus xanti (T. N. Gill, 1860); from the Greek words labrax (a fish) and soma (body), and xanti meaning yellow. Alternate Names: Rock Blenny. Commonly found…