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A spiny yellow decorator crab perches on a rock with legs and spines extended in all directions

Oregon spiny king crab

Paralomis multispina

Not on exhibit
Relatives
King crabs; Family: Lithodidae
Diet
Vesicomyid clams and mytilid bivalves
Range
From 2,000 to 9,800 ft. (600 to 3,000 m) in the North Pacific Ocean
Size
Body (carapace) length and width up to 3 inches (8 centimeters)

Meet the Oregon spiny king crab

This armored crab roams the muddy plain. Like a knight in spiny armor, this crab wears its own protection. A thick, jointed “suit” guards this deep-sea crab from predators as it hunts for clams.