Paralithodes is a genus of king crabs native to cold waters in the North Pacific Ocean, Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea and Sea of Japan, but with one species also introduced to far northern Europe. They are medium-large to very large king crabs, and some species are important to commercial fisheries.[1] A 2017 examination of the phylogeny of king crabs suggests that the internal placement of Paralithodes within this family is not fully resolved.[2]
The genus contains the following five species:[1] [3]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralithodes brevipes (H. Milne-Edwards & Lucas, 1841) | Brown king crab, Hanasaki king crab, spiny king crab | Northwest Pacific, Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea | ||
| Paralithodes californiensis (Benedict, 1895) | California king crab, spiny king crab | East Pacific off California | ||
| Paralithodes camtschaticus (Tilesius, 1815) | red king crab | North Pacific, Bering Sea, Okhotsk Sea, Sea of Japan; introduced to oceans off far northern Europe | ||
| Paralithodes platypus (Brandt, 1851) | blue king crab | North Pacific, Bering Sea, Okhotsk Sea, Sea of Japan | ||
| Paralithodes rathbuni (Benedict, 1895) | California king crab, spiny king crab | East Pacific off California and Baja California |