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King Crab Facts & Worksheets

The king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) of the order Decapoda and class Malacostraca is among the largest crabs, native to the shallow waters of Japan, along the coast of Alaska, and in the Bering Sea.

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The king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) of the order Decapoda and class Malacostraca is among the largest crabs, native to the shallow waters of Japan, along the coast of Alaska, and in the Bering Sea. Because of the king crab’s large size and taste, most of its species are sold as food.

See the fact file below for more information on the king crab or alternatively, you can download our 20-page King Crab worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

FAST FACTS

  • The heaviest king crab ever discovered reached 28 pounds.
  • King crabs are closely associated to hermit crabs, and they share the feature of having two differently sized claws.
  • They are unable to swim. Instead, they walk along the ocean floor.

APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR

  • Despite its name, the red king crab is not red and tends to look more orange or burgundy in color. Some red king crabs even appear brownish-blue. Their name, however, applies when they turn bright red after being cooked.
  • Like other crabs, they are housed in a thick and heavy shell called a carapace. Their whole body is filled with large, sharp spines for extra protection.
  • They are solitary creatures outside mating season. They have been seen to gather in groups in front of large predators, stacking on top of each other to appear bigger and more intimidating. They can reach dozens of feet high, with hundreds of crabs stacked.
  • Male king crabs are typically larger than females, and they can easily be distinguished by their distinct body shape. Females have a broad, fan-shaped abdomen while males possess a narrow, triangle-shaped abdomen.
  • King crabs have five pairs of legs, and the first pair acts more like an arm. Each leg has a pointed pincer connected to the end. The right claw is usually larger and thicker than the left, often used to crush objects, and the latter is used to tear food apart easier.
  • The fifth set of legs is smaller, usually used to assist the crabs in egg fertilization during mating and cleaning these eggs after hatching.

HABITAT AND DIET

  • The majority of king crabs choose to settle in relatively shallow and muddy coastal waters that are below 200 feet. They can survive in waters as deep as 650 feet.
  • Adults choose to live in cold waters between 2 to 4°C or 35 to 40°F.
  • They are carnivores, notorious for preying on smaller ocean creatures such as worms, snails, mussels, barnacles, sea urchins, clams, fish, and even smaller crab species.
  • King crabs are seen as opportunistic feeders; they are not choosy eaters and will feed on whichever invertebrates are easiest to forage and smash with their pincers in their nearby habitats.

PREDATORS AND THREATS

  • King crabs are naturally preyed on by large fish such as cod, halibut, and other similar species, even skates and sculpins. They are also eaten by octopuses and other species of king crabs.
  • Due to their size, the largest of the king crabs are preyed on by only a few natural predators. They only appear defenseless and open to attacks right after molting.
  • Harvesting is one of the threats faced by king crabs in the wild. Several man-made fisheries have been formed, and strict harvesting regulations are set up, so these crabs are not classified as an endangered species.

REPRODUCTION

  • King crabs can survive up to 30 years in the wild.
  • They are sexually mature five years after birth, and their reproduction cycle starts in the spring.
  • In mid-spring, typically around May, adult females will migrate to warmer, shallower waters that would guarantee their safety when spawning and laying 50,000 to 500,000 eggs.
  • Males will accompany females later in the season to fertilize the eggs. Females will bear these eggs in their abdominal flaps for about a year before hatching tiny larvae called zoea. These larvae do not spend time with their mothers.
  • Molting happens five times in the first few months. They change into a “glaucothoe”, an in-between phase of growth for king crabs.
  • Juvenile king crabs settle onto the bottom of the ocean as they continue to grow and start to wander around and possess behaviors like those of the adult king crabs. During this stage, they also continue to molt frequently as they mature, and lose their ability to swim.

SUSTAINABILITY

  • Their numbers are closely checked to avoid overfishing. Since they experience fluctuations in their number, fisheries provide standard procedures on how and when to harvest king crabs to expand the chances of multiplying and increasing their numbers.
  • An example of this guideline is the “three S” rule: size, sex, and season. Only males can be collected, and they must pass a specific size threshold. Moreover, they are only permitted to be harvested outside the mating and molting season.

King Crab Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the king crab across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use King Crab worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) of the order Decapoda and class Malacostraca which is among the largest crabs, native to the shallow waters of Japan, along the coast of Alaska, and in the Bering Sea. Because of the king crab’s large size and taste, most of its species are sold as food.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • King Crab Facts
  • Tell Me About It
  • Label the Crab
  • King and Snow
  • Fill in the Blanks
  • Fill in the Jar
  • King Crab Wiki
  • What’s Cooking?
  • My Predators
  • Life in Comics
  • King Crab Species

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Link will appear as King Crab Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 2, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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