Purple Shore Crab

Near the jetty at Ocean Shores, Washigton, on 29 January 2022, Erika found a Purple Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus nudus). These carbs are often found under rocks along North America’s west coast. These creatures consume sea lettuce, green algae and dead animals. This crab mates during midwinter—large females may lay more that 30,000 eggs at one time (Slater Museum). Fish, gulls, and scoters all feast on Purple Shore Crabs.