Key:  Family Porcellanidae

Taken primarily from  Kozloff, 1987, 1996 p. 411 (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press.  Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)

An alternate key to some of these species can be found in Wicksten, 2009 page 269.
 

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1a	Chelipeds equal or nearly equal, flattened, with a finely granulated surface, not covered with plumose hairs (picture)	2
1b	Chelipeds decidedly unequal, thick, roughened by tubercles (picture), and covered (sometimes sparsely) with plumose hairs	3
2a	Carpus of chelipeds about twice as long as wide, with parallel anterior and posterior margins	Petrolisthes eriomerus
2b	Carpus of chelipeds about 1.5 times as long as wide, with anterior and posterior margins not parallel	Petrolisthes cinctipes
3a	Telson with 7 plates; carpus of chelipeds with 3 or 4 uneven, serrated teeth on the anterior margin	Pachycheles pubescens
3b	Telson with 5 plates, carpus of chelipeds with a broad, nearly triangular lobe on the anterior margin (picture)	Pachycheles rudis

 Pachycheles pubescens
 Pachycheles rudis
 Petrolisthes cinctipes
 Petrolisthes eriomerus