The graceful kelp crab, Pugettia gracilis, in the family Epialtidae, likes to decorate itself by attaching a piece of seaweed to its rostrum, as in this photo. This crab ranges from the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands, Alaska, to Monterey Bay, California. The carapace length reaches 50 mm (2 in.) Prefers rocky areas where it can be found clinging to algae or anemones, from low intertidal to 140 m; juveniles prefer eelgrass beds.

Scientific name: Latin pugio (a dagger) or pugn (a fist), etta (diminutive ending), and ia (a state of being); and gracilis (slender, thin, simple).

Digital photo by Jan Haaga. References (a complete list) in the text include: Jensen (1995), Williams et al. (1988), Barr (1983), or Hart (1982).

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