EXPLORE > ANIMALS > INVERTEBRATES
Cancer oregonensis
Oregon cancer crabs appear round when viewed from above. Their dark red carapace is serrated at the edge and their bellies are lighter. They have stout, short, black-tipped pincers that are bent downward at the tips and short, hairy walking legs. Their eyestalks are orange with a black cornea.
Oregon cancer crabs eat primarily eat barnacles and California mussels but also feed on polychaete worms, smaller crustaceans and scraps of small green algae. They can crush their crustacean prey with their pincers. Once the little crabs eat a large barnacle, they may move into its empty shell.
Natural predators include shorebirds like willets. They're also used by fishermen for bait.
Range and Habitat
Oregon cancer crabs are common from the Bering Sea to Santa Barbara, California. They live in rocky intertidal areas under loose rocks or in hidden crevices under kelp holdfasts where they hollow out a cave. They may also take advantage of unoccupied sea urchin holes or empty barnacle shells. These crabs are found from the surfline to 1,427 ft. (435 m) deep.
Conservation Status
Common.
Related Features: Youth Activities: Crabbing
Cancer oregonensis
Oregon cancer crabs appear round when viewed from above. Their dark red carapace is serrated at the edge and their bellies are lighter. They have stout, short, black-tipped pincers that are bent downward at the tips and short, hairy walking legs. Their eyestalks are orange with a black cornea.
Oregon cancer crabs eat primarily eat barnacles and California mussels but also feed on polychaete worms, smaller crustaceans and scraps of small green algae. They can crush their crustacean prey with their pincers. Once the little crabs eat a large barnacle, they may move into its empty shell.
Natural predators include shorebirds like willets. They're also used by fishermen for bait.
Range and Habitat
Oregon cancer crabs are common from the Bering Sea to Santa Barbara, California. They live in rocky intertidal areas under loose rocks or in hidden crevices under kelp holdfasts where they hollow out a cave. They may also take advantage of unoccupied sea urchin holes or empty barnacle shells. These crabs are found from the surfline to 1,427 ft. (435 m) deep.
Conservation Status
Common.
Related Features: Youth Activities: Crabbing