Picture 1: The underbelly of a juvenile Dungeness crab. What once was its tail in the megalopae stage has hardened and tucked in to protect the bottom of this crustacean. One can tell this is a male as the shape is skinny compared to females with wider underbellies which can hold up to 2.3 million eggs.
Picture 2: The result of a hard fought fight. This Dungeness crab appears to have lost one of its claws in a skirmish. These crabs are cannibalistic and can grow back limbs which is the reason one claw is so much bigger.
Picture 3: Two juvenile crabs stacked on each other. The bottom, an older juvenile with a hardened exoskeleton, yet not fully mature. The top, a young juvenile, with a fragile exoskeleton, which can be inferred by its greyish green color.
Hudson Miller
7-17-2018