The red king crab is protected by a thick exoskeleton made of chitin. This exoskeleton is hard to protect the crab from predators. Every few years this exoskeleton is molted allowing the red king crab to grow. The body of the red king crab is segmented into 3 main segments: the head the thorax and the abdomen. The carapace (shell that covers their back) has a hard rigid structure. Red king crabs have a unique abdomen that is shaped like a fan and located below the back section of the shell. They have 5 pairs of limbs attached to their abdomen. The top pair of limbs are their claws that help them grab their food. The next 3 pairs of limbs are used for walking. These legs are extremely long. The final pair of limbs is very small and tucked underneath the back of their carapace.
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Red King CrabBelonging to the Paralithodes genus, the red king crab is known for its enormous size. They belong to the crustacean group of anthropods. They can grow to a leg span of up to 1.8 metres (6 feet). They typically weigh around 5-8 pounds. The red king crab can be found in the cold waters of the Bering Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean.
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