E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Cryptolithodes sitchensis Brandt, 1953
Turtle Crab; Umbrella Crab
Family: Lithodidae

Species account author: Josephine Hart.
Extracted from Crabs and their relatives of British Columbia.
Photo of species

© Aaron Baldwin  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #67388)

E-Fauna BC Static Map
Distribution of Cryptolithodes sitchensis in British Columbia
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Species Information

Carapace surface smooth and about 1 ½ times as wide as long in males, less in females; medially convex with central longitudinal crest; anterior margins undulated and expanded almost as far forward as rostrum which broadens distally. Eyestalk cone-shaped with small cornea. Antennal scale leaf-like. Chelipeds unequal in size, smooth, and with short setae on inner margins of fingers. Walking legs much compressed with sharp dorsal margins; dactyl short with ventral movable spines and sharp, curved claw. Abdomen of female wider than that of male.

Size

Carapace: male 65 x 90 mm, female 68 x 87 mm.

Colour

Carapace with unusually broad range of colour; small individuals are often white or pale brown, and males of any size may be scarlet. Otherwise combinations of all shades of orange, pink, red-brown, green, grey purple and white occur. One colour may predominate or there may be a mixture with spots, streaks, or a pattern of finely etched, usually symmetrical, lines. Appendages and ventral surfaces mostly white. Chelipeds and walking legs usually have tinges of tan or brown. Eyestalk white; cornea black. Antennal flagellum banded in light and dark brown.

Habitat


Intertidal. Especially on wave-washed, seaweed-covered rocks in sheltered crevices, where rock surfaces are covered with colourful growths among which the crabs blend. The tendency to remain motionless also helps them to survive predation. Feed on calcareous algae, Corallina, Calliarthron and Bossiella.

Distribution

Range

Sitka, Alaska, to Point Loma, California; intertidal to 17 m.
Distribution In British Columbia

Common in cold-water areas of British Columbia, but I have no records from the Strait of Georgia.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
UnlistedUnlistedUnlistedUnlisted
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Photo Sources

General References


Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-11-03 11:54:49 AM]
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