7.19- Shore Crab and Sea Slaters

After seeing a mink hauling a small crab across the rip-rap South Avenue breakwater the other day, I decided to try to find some of the crabs today, successfully as you can see.

This is some type of Shore Crab, though I haven't been able to identify the particular type.

The crab is holding the remains of what I have learned is a "Sea Slater," also informally known as Rock Louse or, my favorite, Beach Cockroach.

Live versions of the Sea Slaters are featured in the rest of the slide show. These Marine Isopods are of the genus "Ligia" which includes 39 very similar looking species. They may be Ligia Occidentalis, Ligia Oceanica, Ligia Exotica, etc., but since I cannot determine the exact morphology, I am dubbing these "Ligia Orientalis," just in case it is an as yet unclassified species.

Sea Slaters have gills, which they must keep damp by dipping their hinies into water, but they will not survive underwater. They usually cluster on rocks that are kept wet by the waves, but after a rain they will swarm up the sea wall and cover the edge of South Avenue.

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