King crab

King crabs

Paralithodes rathbuni

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Anomura
Superfamily:	Paguroidea
Family:	Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819

Genera

Acantholithodes
Cryptolithodes
Dermaturus
Glyptolithodes
Hapalogaster
Lithodes
Lopholithodes
Neolithodes
Oedignathus
Paralithodes
Paralomis
Phyllolithodes
Placetron
Rhinolithodes

King crabs, also called stone crabs are a family of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Their large size means that many species are widely caught and sold as food.

King crabs are generally believed to be derived from hermit crab ancestors, which may explain the asymmetry still found in the adult forms. Although some doubt still exists about this theory, king crabs are the most widely-quoted example of carcinization among the Decapoda.

A woman holding a red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus).

References

McLaughlin, P. A. (1993). Illustrated keys to families and genera of the superfamily Paguroidea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), with diagnoses of genera of Paguridae. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60(1): 111-144.

The term king crab is also sometimes used of the horseshoe crab Limulus.

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