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Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 12:18 pm
by carlk3
I have two crab related questions.
- Yesterday at Alki, we saw a "normal" crab (Dungeness?) scuttle away. We think it was carrying another crab -- same type, a little smaller, inverted. Is this likely? (sorry, no picture)
- We also saw these two Kelp Crab (?) "fighting". Is that right? or are they mating?
Thanks!
- Carl
Re: Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 12:33 pm
by Desert Diver
Sometimes it's hard to tell with humans too, but the Dungeness were mating.
Re: Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:25 pm
by Jeremy
50 shades of crab
Re: Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:37 pm
by Norris
Pretty sure the Kelps are fighting, maybe over the other?
Re: Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:15 pm
by carlk3
A
page on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife web site says:
Crab reproduction
Dungeness crab can only successfully mate when the female is newly molted. For this reason, in early spring, adult male crabs seek female crabs that are likely to molt soon. Crabs will stay in this “pre-mating embrace” until females molt, this can go on as long as two weeks. After females molt, male spermatophores are deposited and the embrace often continues for protection of the newly molted female.
The offset molting cycle is the reason female crab molts appear on Oregon beaches earlier than those of males.
Caption: Pre-mating embrace of Dungeness crab
(That's what we saw all righty. Thanks!)
Re: Crabs making war or love?
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:23 pm
by Greg Jensen
Norris nailed it- two big males fighting over the smaller one in the middle