Sheep Crab
Loxorhychus grandis

Physical Description

• They have a teardrop-shaped body with a spiny, bumpy shell.
• Have spine-like points on their downward-facing snout.
• Eight long, spindly legs with big, knobby joints, and two claws.
• Adult males reach a diameter of 6.5 inches and have larger claws; adult females reach a diameter of 4.5 inches.
• Juveniles cover themselves with barnacles, bryozoans, hydroids, and algae for camouflage.
• Adults develop a film of fuzzy green algae all over their bodies.

Range

• Point Reyes, California to Baja California, Mexico.

Habitat

• Found at depths of 20-500 feet.
• Live on rocky reefs and pilings.

Reproduction

• Females are sexually mature when 4-7 inches wide, males at 4-9.5 inches wide.
• Males and females pile up on shore to mate.
• They hook back to back to mate.
• Mating occurs in late spring-summer.
• Females can store sperm when there’s an absence of males.
• Each brood includes 125,000-500,000 eggs.

Diet

• Scavengers, they eat living and dead things on the seafloor.
• Known to eat octopus, starfish, and clams.

Predators

• Cabezon, California sheephead, octopus, sharks, and rays.

Interesting Facts

• The name sheep crab may come from the fuzzy layer of algae adults grow on their shells. 
• They live to be about four years old.
• They are the largest species of California spider crabs.

Sources: California Sea Grant; Monterey Bay Aquarium

Photo: Herb Gruenhagen