Over the weekend, thousands of small and squirming tuna crab invades the shoreline of Southern California beaches, particularly in Huntington Beach.
Marine Safety Lt. Michael Beuerlein said that the tuna crab invasion was caused by strange hot summer in California, causing the small sea creatures to leave the warm waters and go to cooler water parts. Experts theorized that these tuna crab were drawn by warmer ocean water from north from Baja, California. Beuerlein added that they were all over the place, from tower one to tower six, flopping up on the shore.
These small sea creatures are known as pelagic red crabs (Pleuroncodes planipes), a family of squat lobsters that usually stick to waters of Baja California. They measure between one to three inches and appear like small lobsters, but with shorter abdomen, Empire State Tribune reported. These crabs are not safe for human consumption but not a threat to humans.
Marine Protection Officer Jeremy Frimond said that life span of tuna crab ends when they hit the sand, but others experienced slow death once they set foot on the beach. They typically move with currents, moving them to inshore just like what happened in the Southern California beaches.
Some of the beachgoers took home the crabs and cooked them. On the other hand, seagulls and crows ate the dead tuna crab, as per Los Angeles Times report.
These crabs mainly inhabit the west coast of Baja California and the Gulf of California, spending their time hiding on sandy ocean bottoms. A similar incident in California as well happened 34 years ago.