General Description
Red king crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus) are a species of large
crab that appear dark red or burgundy in color. Red king crabs can
grow very large with carapace (the shell covering their back)
lengths up to *1 inches and a five foot leg span. Red king crabs
have "tails," or abdomens, that are distinctive, being fan-shaped
and tucked underneath the rear of the shell. They also have five
pairs of legs; the first bears their claws or pincers, the right
claw is usually the largest on the adults, the next three pairs are
their walking legs, and the fifth pair of legs are small and
normally tucked underneath the rear portion of their carapace.
These specialized legs are used by adult females to clean their
embryos (fertilized eggs) and the male uses them to transfer sperm
to the female during mating.
