Pugettia producta

This crab was found in the rocky area near the Fox Island Bridge. He was walking through the water in between the rocks. Pugettia crabs vary in color but most of the ones seen in the field were red, brown, or greenish. They are also very distinct in their physical characteristics as they have an extreme projection between their eyes. They mainly live off of algae but will also consume barnacles, mussels, and bryozoans. In the fall the crabs go to deeper water where they feed and mate. Females carry their eggs with them in their carapace and it can contain anywhere from 34,000 to 84,000 eggs (Dave Cowles 2005).

Pugettia producta found on Fox Island on 4/6/07. Picture courtesy of Bonnie Becker.

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This webpage is part of the UWT Marine Ecology 2007 Class Project