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March 31, 2021: Golden Crab

The golden crab (Chaceon fenneri) is a commercially important species found along the U.S. Atlantic coast and into the Gulf of Mexico. Golden crabs are most abundant among rock ledges, where they eat animals such as worms and mollusks.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).

The golden crab (Chaceon fenneri) is a commercially important species found along the U.S. Atlantic coast and into the Gulf of Mexico. Golden crabs are most abundant among rock ledges, where they eat animals such as worms and mollusks. This particular crab was seen while exploring Baltimore Canyon off the Virginia coast in the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area at a depth of approximately 530 meters (1,740 feet) during the Windows to the Deep 2019: Exploration of the Deep-sea Habitats of the Southeastern United States expedition.

Feeling creative? Celebrate National Crayon Day and download a coloring sheet of this crab from our Ocean of Art coloring book.