What you need to know: Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills establishing three new state symbols: the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean, the banana slug as the state slug, and the black abalone as the state seashell.

Sacramento, California - On September 27, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation establishing three new state symbols: the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean, the banana slug as the state slug, and the black abalone as the state seashell.

California has some of the most biodiverse environments in the world - with over 5,500 plants, animals, and other life forms. From the majestic California redwood down to the delicate California quail, every organism matters here - and it’s time we celebrated our less cuddly friends before they get too crabby. The Dungeness crab, the banana slug, and the black abalone each bring much to our state and are well deserving of this recognition. - Governor Gavin Newsom

(Cr)absolutely wonderful!

AB 1797 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) establishes the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) as the official state crustacean. Dungeness crab is one of the state’s oldest commercial fisheries, regulated by the Legislature since 1895, and remains a pillar of the state’s coastal economy.

This slug is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

AB 1850 by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) establishes the banana slug (Ariolimax) as the official state slug. The banana slug plays an integral role in our ecosystems - particularly the redwood forests, as their diet includes plants that compete with redwood seedlings for light, water, and nutrients. Not to mention, UC Santa Cruz chose the banana slug to be their mascot - named Sammy the Slug. As one of the slowest creatures on Earth (with a maximum speed of six and a half inches per minute), the banana slug was seen as the ideal counterpoint to most other universities’ fierce athletic competition.

Mother of pearl!

AB 2504 by Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) establishes the shell of the black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) as the official state seashell. Abalone is known for its iridescent interior, made of layers of nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl. Abalone has played a major role in many coastal California Native American tribes’ lives, both in daily life and ceremonially, since time immemorial. Shells indicating ancient human settlements date back 7,400 years. Black abalone shells were used as currency and traded along routes that reached beyond the Mississippi River. Today, the mollusks that these shells come from - once-common mollusks - are now endangered.