Beach visitors to Malibu for the holiday weekend may have noticed thousands of red tuna crabs washed up on Carbon Beach, part of a larger group that have washed up on beaches all across Southern California in the past two weeks.
Recently, there has been an influx of tuna crabs on numerous beaches across Southern California, ranging from Orange County to Malibu beaches. These red crustaceans are originally from the Baja California coast and have now landed in Malibu. They often become stranded and quickly perish on the sand, according to KTLA 5 News.
While it may seem unusual to see a vast number of crabs on the beach, cases like this happen every few years. Many scientists believe their migration has to do with ocean temperatures and El Niño conditions in the Pacific.
The warm summer waters can attract the crabs, causing them to follow the current. In January, there were reports of tuna crabs washed up by the thousands at Newport Beach, reported Surfer Magazine.
“They have this ability to transition from seafloor through the water column. They’re subject to current and internal waves and tides, so they can be pushed along with different water masses. Typically, when we do see larger numbers of tuna crab, it’s during warm water intrusions,” explained Lindsey Sala, a collection manager at the University of San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to the Washington Post.
While the crawfish-like crabs may be fun to look at, beachgoers are advised not to eat them, as their diet consists of plankton which could be toxic to humans.