Hairy+Shore+Crab

//Hemigrapsus oregonensis//
 * __Hairy Shore Crab__**

- Yellow Shore Crab - Oregon Shore Crab - Mud-Flat Crab - Green Shore Crab
 * __Common Names__**:

__**Physical Description**__

Despite this crab's name, the body color of the Hairy Shore Crab often varies. The crab's carapace (34.7mm - Male, 29.1mm - Female) is often light grey, green, or yellow with small blue/black spots and lighter colored legs with similar spots. The carapace may be also red/brown with green spots. The legs with attatched claws, or //chelipeds//, are usually colored cream/white with no spots. The Hairy Shore Crab is also closely related to the Purple Shore Crab and can only be distinguished by differences in the legs and claws. For instance, the legs Hairy Shore Crab are covered in multiple hairs called //setae// while the claws of the Purple Shore Crab are covered in purple or red spots.


 * __Habitat/Location__**

The Hairy Shore Crab can be found in the intertidal zone in mud flats, algal mats, and eelgrass beds and is abundant in the San Fransisco Bay and coastal areas of Oregon and Washington.


 * __Diet__**

- Green Algae - Diatoms - Meat (when opportunity occurs)

By: Chris