Common Name
Asian Shore Crab, Japanese Shore Crab
Scientific Name
Hemigrapsus sanguineus (De Haan, 1853)
Status
Not yet in Cape Breton
Description
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males have a fleshy, bulb-like structure at the base of the movable pincers of the claws
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light and dark band on walking legs and red spots on claws
Habitat
The Asian shore crab can be found in the shallow, hard bottom intertidal and sometimes subtidal zones. It tends to be found at high densities, under rocks, which causes overlap with native species. These crabs can also be found on artificial substrates, as well as mussel beds and oyster reefs and may even be found in soft sediments. Asian shore crabs can tolerate wide ranges of temperature and salinity, as well as the damp conditions of the upper intertidal.
Potential Impacts
Similar to the green crab, the Asian shore crab is an omnivore that feeds on a wide variety of food causing competition and predation with the native species. This crab species therefore has the potential to change the food web structure of the community to which it is introduced. If it is introduced into Cape Breton, Asian shore crabs may compete with larger native species, like the rock crab (Cancer irroratus), the lobster (Homarus americanus), and the non-native and invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas). In areas where Asian shore crab have already invaded, scientists are concerned that they may pose a threat to aquaculture operations.
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Nonindigenous Species Information Bulletin - U.S. Geological Survey
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Detailed information about the Asian shore crab - from the Global Invasive Species Database
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Asian Crab Crawls Toward the Top - an article from newsday.com
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Invasive Asian shore crab species digs up trouble in South County - article in the student newspaper of the University of Rhode Island
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