Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches

Tiny and See-Through on the Oregon Coast: Adorable but Eerie

Published 07/15/020 at 4:24 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

Tiny and See-Through on the Oregon Coast: Adorable but Eerie

Latest Coastal Lodging News Alerts
In Seaside:
Includes exclusive listings; some specials in winter
In Cannon Beach:
Includes rentals not listed anywhere else
In Manzanita, Wheeler, Rockaway Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Pacific City, Oceanside:
Some specials for winter
In Lincoln City:
Some specials for winter
In Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Newport:
Look for some specials
In Waldport
Some specials for winter
In Yachats, Florence
Some specials for winter

(Seaside, Oregon) – Remember that alien crab that burst out of people in the Alien movie franchise? Well, this Oregon coast resident isn’t it – but it sometimes looks a bit like that creepy creature of Sci-Fi lore. (Photos courtesy Seaside Aquarium).

This tiny see-through beastie is actually a Dungeness crab, but a very baby one. They go through this stage early in life, becoming eerily transparent but with a dash of blue. Seaside Aquarium’s Tiffany Boothe spotted one a few weeks ago on the north Oregon coast and provided some fun insights into it, calling him an “adorable little guy.”

“Believe it or not this blue-eyed beauty is a Dungeness crab,” Boothe said. “It is currently in a stage of growth called a megalope.”

Each winter, the female Dungeness hosts gobs of larvae inside and then releases them after they’ve hatched. At this point, the little ones are microscopic, Boothe said, a form of larvae called Zoea. Their ability to swim is quite limited so they’re at the mercy of the currents, just riding along where the ocean takes them.

You'll find them along the entire U.S. west coast, and definitely from the southern Oregon coast up through Washington beaches.

“While free-floating, the Zoea will continue to develop,” Boothe said. “They go through six different growth stages before settling down onto the seafloor.”

That sixth and final stage is called megalopal – or megalope singular, megalopae for plural. They graduate (well, grow) to start looking like actual crab, whereas before they've had a kind of almost tadpole look. Boothe said they not only develop legs but claws about now. For awhile they’re still unable to swim in this stage, but eventually they grow a shrimp-like abdomen that makes them good at it.

Boothe said they’re also an important food source for larger creatures like whales or coho salmon.

“Nearshore waters along the Oregon coast see megalopae in high numbers in the late spring and early summer,” she said. “Currents and tides cast them ashore.”

It’s about now they start settling at the bottom or near the bottom of the ocean, where they grow into adulthood. But they’re often spotted along the tideline, as Boothe has captured here, where they burrow into the sand.

“They have also been known to hitch a ride to shore on Velella velella, those stinky blue guys that wash in when the wind blows out of the west,” Boothe said.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the megalopae can be found in vast numbers sometimes, but then they have to be in order to survive being eaten or walloped by the tides.

“During their first two years of life they put all their energy into growth and molt up to six times a year,” Boothe said. “By year three their growth rate slows down and they only molt once per year. Their energy is now reserved for reproduction.”

You can find other interesting sea creatures at the Seaside Aquarium, on the Prom in Seaside. 503-738-6211.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - Where to eat - Map - Virtual Tour


Inn at Seaside

Beach House Vacation Rentals, Inc

Gilbert Inn

Schooner’s Cove Inn




More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

 

Oregon Coast event or adventure you can't miss

 



Coastal Spotlight


LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

This Weekend's Chonky, Orange-Tinged Harvest Moon Above Oregon, Washington an...
25 Sep 2026 at 9:55pm
Large moon - but there's a catch - and some meteor showers. Weather, Astronomy
Late-Night Rescue on Cape Lookout Trail Highlights Oregon Coast Hiking Hazards
25 Sep 2026 at 9:51pm
Oceanside-area rescue after dark: responders offer advice. Safety, Netarts, Oceanside tunnel, Lost Boy Beach
Another Fatal Accident on Oregon Coast Last Weekend, This Time Involving Pede...
25 Sep 2026 at 9:22pm
Gleneden Beach: A Portland man hit first by one vehicle and then by two more. Lincoln City, safety
Active Winds Along Oregon Coast, Cascades and Valleys: Touch of a Fall Storm
25 Sep 2026 at 9:22pm
UPDATES: High Wind Advisories in Valley, Gorge. Gale watch along the coast, brief thunderstorms in NW Oregon possible. Weather
South Oregon Coast Wilderness: Tseriadun State Scenic Rec Site, Paradise Poin...
24 Sep 2026 at 7:21am
Four miles of crazy finds, yet another Agate Beach, an angry river and Cape Blanco. Port Orford, Curry County
Two Deadly Crashes This Weekend Near Oregon Coast, Including 4-Month-Old Girl
23 Sep 2026 at 9:11am
One happened near Florence and the other outside of Myrtle Point near Bandon. Traffic, rescue
Florence's 5th Annual Festival Books Opens New Pages to Oregon Coast This Wee...
23 Sep 2026 at 8:11am
Florence's literary community on Saturday, September 26. Florence events
Search Suspended for Missing Pilot Off Oregon Coast - Newport
22 Sep 2026 at 9:28am
The 78-year-old crashed into the Pacific near 1 pm. Coast Guard. Astoria Coast Guard, North Bend Coast Guard

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted