''Paralithodes californiensis'', also known as the spiny king crab and the California king crab, is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
king crab It is closely related to ''
P. rathbuni'' with the same common names being used for the two and some authorities suggest that they might be
conspecific
Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species.
Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organism ...
.
''P. californiensis'' is found on muddy or rocky bottoms at depths of in the Pacific Ocean off southern
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
(
Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach (Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Pismuʔ'') is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast (California), Central Coast area of California, United States. Its esti ...
to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
).
[
]
References
External links
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Fauna of California
King crabs
Crustaceans of the eastern Pacific Ocean
Anomura of the Pacific Ocean
Crustaceans of the United States
Edible crustaceans
Commercial crustaceans
Crustaceans described in 1895
{{Anomura-stub