Green Crab
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Scientific Name
Carcinus maenas
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Description
- Carapace up to 60 mm (2.4 in) long and 90 mm (3.5 in) wide.
- Carapace has five short teeth along the rim behind each eye, and three undulations between the eyes.
- Color varies greatly, from green to brown, gray, or red.
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Habitat
- Soft bottom shorelines and estuaries.
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Invasion Pathways and Distribution
- Native to European and North African coasts.
- Introduced by ship hulls, sea planes & packing materials.
- It has spread to many coast lines throughout the world where it is considered an invasive species.
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Life History
- This predatory crab mainly eats bivalves (up to 40 perday) but will also eat crustaceans and worms.
- Females can lay up to 185,000 eggs.
- Can tolerate a wide range of salinity and water temperature.
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Impacts
- Out competes native species for food and habitat.
- Direct predation of native organisms leading do declining numbers.
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References and Useful Links
