Cancer productus

Cancer productus

Cancer productus is a crab from the family of crabs. It is distributed on the Pacific coast of North America and is called there because of their red color " Red rock crab".

Features

Characteristic of Cancer productus are the five approximately equal-sized denticles between the eyes, the pass compared to the other Cancer Types forward and clear are the orbits of the carapace. From this feature, and the epithet " productus " is derived, the " extended " or " preferred " means. The distance between the orbits is about one fifth of the Gesamtcarapaxbreite.

On each side of the eyes, there are 10 teeth, which are larger and more pointed towards the rear. As with all crabs the carapace is wider than long. It can be widely in males up to 20 cm and up to 17 cm in females. The surface of the carapace is rather smooth and without tubercles or marked elevations, but overall uneven. His color is brick red, with juveniles it is initially whitish and is striped white-red during growth.

The dactylus of the first walking leg, movable scissor fingers is black at its tip. This differs Cancer productus of the similar nature Cancer magister. The Prodopus of the first walking leg has longitudinally strung tubercle.

Distribution and habitat

Cancer productus is common on the Pacific coast of North America, from Kodiak Archipelago in the north to Laguna Beach, and San Diego, California to the south. The populated sea depth ranges from the riparian zone to a maximum of 90 m. The habitats can be rocky or sandy. Cancer productus keeps mostly to rock on and hides during the day, either under rocks or buried in the sand.

The oldest fossils of Cancer productus originate from the Middle Pliocene.

Ecology

Cancer productus is carnivorous. The prey animals include mussels, small crustaceans, barnacles, amphipods, sea cucumbers, and many other invertebrates occurring on the coasts and dead fish. The eaten mussels include, inter alia, Leucoma staminea, Nuttalia obscurata, Venerupis philippinarum, Mytilus californianus and oysters.

Especially Juvenile are prey of bullheads, Paralabrax clathratus or Morone chrysops. Also from the Pacific giant octopus is Cancer productus prey.

Mating occurs in the summer, shortly after the female has skinned. Even before the molt, the male carries the female below his abdomen with it. Contributes Even after molting and copulation and protected it the female until the shell is completely cured. The number of eggs can be up to 600,000.

Typical epibionts of Cancer productus, in addition to algae also barnacles, especially Balanus crenatus.