Most commonly seen in central California. Range: Bahía Playa Maria, Baja, California, to Prince William Sound, Alaska. Size: Small, males to 4.5 inches across the back, females to 3.4 inches. Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The underside is white or yellowish white. The slender crab usually has a shell that is olive brown and legs that vary from yellowish brown to purple. In addition, in the slender crab the last segment of its tail flap is pointed, where that of Dungeness is curved.

They can be distinguished from Dungeness by their (almost always) hairless legs Dungeness have hair on the posterior three legs. Due to their relatively small size, slender crabs are frequently mistaken for juvenile Dungeness crabs. Female crabs can be distinguished from males by the broad tail flap on their undersides, which are used for protecting their eggs when they are gravid. The tops of the claws are sharp-edged, with two or three prominent teeth, but these edges are not the saw tooth-like serrations seen in Dungeness.

They and Dungeness crabs are the only two members of this group of crabs whose chelae (claws) are white tipped. Identification: The slender crab has a very broad and oval-shaped shell with dull tooth-like protrusions toward the front of the shell and slender walking legs. Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) - Order Decapoda (Crabs, Lobster, Shrimp) - Family Cancridae (Cancer Crabs) - Genus Cancer

Slender crab spider