Species profile
Pacific Sand Crab
Emerita analoga
At a glance
Pacific Sand Crab (Emerita analoga) is a crustacean with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 9,079 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Oregon, and Washington the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Migrates up and down the beach with each tide to stay within the swash zone.
- Filter feeds by holding feathery antennae into receding waves to catch plankton.
- Females can reach about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm); males are much smaller.
- Cannot walk forward — they only move backward or sideways.
- A key prey item for surf zone fish like barred surfperch and shorebirds like sanderlings.
Where Pacific Sand Crab are seen
Background
Emerita analoga, the Pacific sand crab or Pacific mole crab, is a species of small, sand-burrowing decapod crustacean found living in the sand along the temperate western coasts of America. Also found on the eastern coasts (New Jersey) It is found on exposed sandy beaches in the swash region of the intertidal zone.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Sand 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.