Thousands of tiny red crabs invade Southern California beaches

LOS ANGELES -- Thousands of tiny red crabs are washing ashore on Southern California beaches.

Known as pelagic red crabs, the crustaceans are 1 to 3 inches long and do not pose a threat to humans, the Los Angeles Times reported.



"Once they are on the sand, their life cycle has typically come to an end," Marine Protection Officer Jeremy Frimond told the L.A. Times. "However, some may still move slightly as their death is not instant once beached."

The animals move with ocean currents. But thousands of crabs have washed ashore along miles of coastline from Orange to San Diego counties.

Beachgoers in Newport Beach, Calif., seized the opportunity to snatch up some and cook them at home, Newport lifeguard battalion Chief Brent Jacobsen told the Times.

"I heard they were pretty salty," Jacobsen said.



Daniel Pondella II, director of the Southern California Marine Institute, told the Daily Pilot in January that the crab phenomenon "could just be a sign of the warm water we're currently experiencing."