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Petrolisthes eriomerus, A Dorsal View. Note the very long antennae. <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82702/a_flattop_porcelain_crab.html" title="A Flattop Porcelain Crab"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2839/82702_thumb.jpeg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=dQ83I8BPjZN5c62%2BTNdPLm5xdSw%3D" width="200" height="152" alt="A Flattop Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes eriomerus is distinguished from the other porcelain crab in this area, P. cinctipes, by having blue mouth parts. P. cinctipes has red orange mouth parts and doesn&rsquo;t hide under rocks as P. eriomerus does. These are small crabs, at the widest it&rsquo;s carapace is 8mm across. I had a hard time stopping it from skittering under cover and to hold still long enough to take its photo. They are called &ldquo;porcelain crabs&rdquo; because if a predator seizes the large pincer it breaks off, a process called autotomy. Canada,Geotagged,Petrolisthes eriomerus,Summer" /></a></figure> Canada,Geotagged,Petrolisthes eriomerus,Summer Click/tap to enlarge Promoted

Petrolisthes eriomerus, A Dorsal View.

Note the very long antennae.

A Flattop Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes eriomerus is distinguished from the other porcelain crab in this area, P. cinctipes, by having blue mouth parts. P. cinctipes has red orange mouth parts and doesn’t hide under rocks as P. eriomerus does. These are small crabs, at the widest it’s carapace is 8mm across. I had a hard time stopping it from skittering under cover and to hold still long enough to take its photo. They are called “porcelain crabs” because if a predator seizes the large pincer it breaks off, a process called autotomy. Canada,Geotagged,Petrolisthes eriomerus,Summer

    comments (3)

  1. View Christine Young's profile
    Christine Young
    Lion
    View Lion class
    You've blown my mind yet again, Gary. Those antennae are insane! Posted 6 years ago
    1. View gary fast's profile
      gary fast
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Crawling around under a rock, you would think they would get in the way... of everything! Posted 6 years ago
      1. View Christine Young's profile
        Christine Young
        Lion
        View Lion class
        They look annoying for sure, lol. I can imagine them getting caught on things and maybe even damaged. Posted 6 years ago

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The Flattop crab

''Petrolisthes eriomerus'' is a species of marine porcelain crab found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the flattop crab. It is a flattened, rounded animal, with a carapace up to 20 mm across. It is a filter feeder, and also sweeps food from rocks.

Info 2 0
Similar species: Decapods
Species identified by gary fast
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By gary fast

All rights reserved
Uploaded Aug 3, 2019. Captured Aug 3, 2019 13:41 in 315 Whaletown Rd, Whaletown, BC V0P 1Z0, Canada.
country flag of Canada Explore Canada 1,925 859 0
  • E-M5MarkII
  • f/16.0
  • 1/250s
  • ISO400
  • 60mm
Captured in the summer. More summer photos.