Cryptolithoides sitchensis–turtle crab

Cryptolithoides sitchensis, the turtle crab : These photos taken in May, 2013 were submitted by Gretchen Markle . They were taken on the area known as Laird’s Beach  (on Parry Bay south of Taylor Road)

gmturtlecrab gmturtlecrab2p1030812Also see another more colourful example of this species found  at Christopher Point by a diving student in the Pearson College Marine Science class in October, 2014

 
Cryptolithoides sitchensis, turtle crab
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Lithodidae
Genus: Cryptolithodes
Species: C. sitchensis
Cryptolithodes sitchensis (Brandt, 1853 [1]