Metacarcinus magister (Dungeness Crab)
Credit: Mike Dawson
about the species
Metacarcinus magister, the Dungeness crab, is a large decapod crustacean distributed along the Pacific coast from Alaska to central California. It inhabits sandy and muddy substrates in nearshore and estuarine environments and is a key predator and scavenger within coastal food webs. The species supports one of California’s most valuable commercial fisheries and is closely tied to oceanographic conditions influencing larval dispersal and recruitment.
why species was selected
Dungeness crab was selected due to its ecological importance and economic significance to California fisheries. Genomic analyses can improve understanding of population structure, larval connectivity, and adaptive responses to environmental variability, informing fishery management and resilience under climate change.
