Hi Sharon, We’ve been having trouble getting messages through on MyCoast, and I’m noticing that our earlier comment on this report from July isn’t visible, as if it may not have gone through. Sorry for the redundancy if so or the apparent radio silence from us if not–we take green crab reports very seriously and try to be very responsive because we know they can cause great concern for anyone happening upon them! We really appreciate you taking the time to get us this report and sharing such clear photos to help with our ID. I pleased to be able to share with you that the crab you encountered was in fact a native kelp crab. Unlike the European green crab which is wider than it is long, this species has a very long nose and narrow body that makes it longer front-to-back than side-to-side. You can take a look at some other common native crabs here: https://wsg.washington.edu/crabteam/greencrab/id/ and we’re always happy to take a second look when you’re not sure, so do keep ’em coming. Thanks for keeping an eye out on your local shores!
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Hi Sharon, We’ve been having trouble getting messages through on MyCoast, and I’m noticing that our earlier comment on this report from July isn’t visible, as if it may not have gone through. Sorry for the redundancy if so or the apparent radio silence from us if not–we take green crab reports very seriously and try to be very responsive because we know they can cause great concern for anyone happening upon them! We really appreciate you taking the time to get us this report and sharing such clear photos to help with our ID. I pleased to be able to share with you that the crab you encountered was in fact a native kelp crab. Unlike the European green crab which is wider than it is long, this species has a very long nose and narrow body that makes it longer front-to-back than side-to-side. You can take a look at some other common native crabs here: https://wsg.washington.edu/crabteam/greencrab/id/ and we’re always happy to take a second look when you’re not sure, so do keep ’em coming. Thanks for keeping an eye out on your local shores!