Hi Hillary, thanks so much for taking the time to take great photos and share them along for us to take a look at. I’m glad to be able to report that the two reports you’ve shared (including https://mycoast.org/reports/226582) are both our native hairy helmet crab, which are longer front-to-back than they are wide, unlike the more gem-shaped European green crab with their 5 distinct spines along the top margin of their carapace. Do keep sending ones you’re unsure of like this our way; we’re always happy to take a second look. And if you’re interested in a deeper dive, here’s some side-by-side images we’ve pulled together of native crabs and the European green crab to give you a better sense. Feel free to reach out with more questions to us at CrabTeam@UW.edu. Thanks so much for being part of this important work! – Lisa (Molt Search Lead)
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Hi Hillary, thanks so much for taking the time to take great photos and share them along for us to take a look at. I’m glad to be able to report that the two reports you’ve shared (including https://mycoast.org/reports/226582) are both our native hairy helmet crab, which are longer front-to-back than they are wide, unlike the more gem-shaped European green crab with their 5 distinct spines along the top margin of their carapace. Do keep sending ones you’re unsure of like this our way; we’re always happy to take a second look. And if you’re interested in a deeper dive, here’s some side-by-side images we’ve pulled together of native crabs and the European green crab to give you a better sense. Feel free to reach out with more questions to us at CrabTeam@UW.edu. Thanks so much for being part of this important work! – Lisa (Molt Search Lead)