Red King Crab

Paralithodes camtschaticus

The red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is a large species of king crab in the family Lithodidae, native to the North Pacific Ocean. Adults can reach a carapace width of 28 cm and a leg span exceeding 1.8 meters, weighing up to 12.7 kg. They have a broad, spiny carapace and five pairs of legs, with the first pair modified as large chelipeds. Coloration is dark reddish-brown to burgundy, turning bright red when cooked. This species inhabits cold, deep waters at depths of 5-400 meters in the Bering Sea, North Pacific, and Sea of Japan, as well as the introduced population in the Barents Sea. Red king crabs are omnivorous bottom-dwellers feeding on mollusks, sea stars, worms, and algae. They support one of the world's most valuable commercial fisheries. Their enormous size and dramatic appearance make them an unforgettable sight for cold-water divers exploring North Pacific kelp forests and rocky substrates.