Species profile
Pacific Rock Crab
Romaleon antennarium
At a glance
Pacific Rock Crab (Romaleon antennarium) 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 7,965 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Oregon, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Carapace can reach about 6 inches (15 cm) wide.
- Found along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja California.
- Prized by recreational crabbers for their sweet, dense claw meat.
- Inhabits rocky reefs and kelp beds from the intertidal zone to about 300 feet deep.
- Crushes mussels, barnacles, and other shelled invertebrates with powerful claws.
Where Pacific Rock Crab are seen
Background
Romaleon antennarium (formerly Cancer antennarius), commonly known as the Pacific, Brown or California rock crab, is a crab of the genus Romaleon found on the western coast of North America.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Rock Crab article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other crabs/lobsters/shrimp on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.