Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is a representative of the suborder Reptantia. The width of the cephalothorax is 10-25 cm, leg span up to 1.5 m, mass up to 7 kg. The last pair of thoracic legs is shortened, tucked under the carapace. The abdomen is tucked under the posterior segments of the thorax. Inhabits the Far Eastern seas. Numerous off the west coast of Kamchatka.

Representatives of this family bear external resemblance to crabs (Brachyura), but are easily distinguished by the reduced fifth pair of walking legs and asymmetrical abdomen in females. As one of the largest crustaceans of the Far East, the Kamchatka crab is the object of fishing. In the middle of the 20th century, it was deliberately introduced into the Barents Sea.

Cardiac and gastric regions of carapace are armed with three pairs of sharp large spines, irrespective of sex and age of animal. Rostral spine is sharp, armed along the upper side with one large, often bifurcated at the apex, spike and a pair of smaller spines. The movable spike (scaphocerite), which is an exopodite of the second antenna, is always simple, unbranched. The body and legs of live crabs are colored red-brown above and yellowish-white below, the lateral surfaces have large purple spots.