Near the end of the breakwater in Victoria I saw this massive Puget Sound king crab (Lopholithodes mandtii) sitting on top of a large boulder. Young crabs start out orange, but eventually their colours change in adulthood to a muddy red and purple. These crabs become large with a carapace width of about 12 inches (30 cm). The Puget Sound king crab looks very solid and sturdy with a range from southern Alaska to central California. This crab’s claw has large molar-like dentitions used to subdue its prey. Tap on the image below to see a close-up of a Puget Sound king crab’s claw (chela).