Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab

At a glance

Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab (Pagurus hirsutiusculus) is a crustacean present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.

Confirmed by 7,141 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Named for the dense, bristly hairs on its walking legs that give it a distinctly fuzzy appearance.
• Walking legs show distinctive white banding, helping separate it from similar Pacific hermit crab species.
• Ranges from Alaska south to Baja California, one of the widest-ranging Pacific hermit crabs.
• Commonly occupies turban snail and periwinkle shells in rocky intertidal tide pools.
• Forages on algae and organic detritus in the mid-intertidal and shallow subtidal zones.

Where Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab are seen

• British Columbia2,778 iNat obs
• Washington1,664 iNat obs
• Oregon1,165 iNat obs
• California1,061 iNat obs
• Alaska473 iNat obs

Background

Pagurus hirsutiusculus is a species of hermit crab, commonly called the hairy hermit crab. It lives from the Bering Strait south to California and Japan, from the intertidal zone to a depth of 110 m (360 ft).

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other crabs/lobsters/shrimp on CatchRules

• Northern Kelp CrabPugettia producta
• Ocellate Lady CrabOvalipes ocellatus
• Mud Fiddler CrabMinuca pugnax
• Northern Clearwater CrayfishFaxonius propinquus