shore crab
Intertidal armored scavenger
A shore crab is any of various small crabs found along coastlines, typically in rocky tidal zones, estuaries, and shallow waters.
The term most often refers to the European green crab, an aggressive species that has become invasive in many parts of the world.
Shore crabs tolerate a wide range of salinity and temperature, making them adaptable colonizers of coastal habitats.
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- chelaePincer-like appendages
- pincersGripping tool or claws
- cephalothoraxFused cranial-trunk section
abdomen · gills · antennae · mandible · limbs · segmentation · molting · chitin
Ten-appendaged arthropod or cephalopod
- crustaceanAquatic arthropod with exoskeleton
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- crustaceaJointed-leg marine animals
Seawater pockets in rocks
- rock poolsSeawater caught in coastal stone
- crevicesNarrow splits in surfaces
- intertidalZone between high and low watermarks
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
saltmarsh · foreshore · tideland · brackish · mangrove · boulders · seaweed · kelp
Ocean's edge
- coastlineLand-water boundary
- beachSandy waterside margin
- seasideCoastal recreational area
- littoralRelating to seashores
strandline · dunes · beachcombing · driftwood · low tide · high tide · wave action · sandy
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- chelaePincer-like appendages
- pincersGripping tool or claws
cephalothorax · abdomen · gills · antennae · mandible · limbs · segmentation · molting · chitin · claws
decapod
Ten-appendaged arthropod or cephalopod
- crustaceanAquatic arthropod with exoskeleton
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
tide pools
Seawater pockets in rocks
- rock poolsSeawater caught in coastal stone
- crevicesNarrow splits in surfaces
- intertidalZone between high and low watermarks
estuary · saltmarsh · foreshore · tideland · brackish · mangrove · boulders · seaweed · kelp · barnacles
seashore
Ocean's edge
littoral · strandline · dunes · beachcombing · driftwood · low tide · high tide · wave action · sandy
scavenger
Seeker of refuse
algae · carrion · mollusks · mussels · worms · snails · foraging · benthic · invasive species · competition