Cancridae

Cancridae is a family of marine crabs. These crabs are characterized by their oval to round carapace, which is typically broader than it is long. The front of the carapace is usually armed with spines or teeth, and the eyes are stalked. Cancridae crabs possess five pairs of pereiopods, with the first pair being the chelipeds, or claws, which are often robust. They are benthic organisms, meaning they live on the seafloor. Many species are found in shallow to moderately deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, with some also inhabiting the Atlantic. Their diet commonly includes mollusks, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates, which they capture and crush with their powerful claws. Reproduction in Cancridae involves external fertilization, with females carrying their fertilized eggs attached to their pleopods. The larval stages are planktonic before settling to the bottom to metamorphose into juvenile crabs. This family includes commercially important species, such as the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, which is highly valued for its meat.