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Edible Crab

(Cancer pagurus)

Also known as the Brown Crab, this large crab is found around all UK shores and is identifiable by the distinctive pie-crust edge to its brown shell.

Edible Crab ©Linda Pitkin/2020VISION
Edible Crab

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Overview

The Edible crab is a large crab, brown in colour apart from black tips on the end of its claws. They have a thick, oval shaped shell (carapace) with a distinctive pie crust edge. They live on the lower shore and out under the sea to about 100m depth. On rocky shores, they are normally hidden away under boulders.

Key Facts

  • A large orangey-brown crab with black tipped pincers. Their shells have a distinctive pie-crust edge.
  • It is an active predator and will feast on mussels, whelks and even smaller crabs. They are also known to dig for prey such as razor clams and otter shells.
  • The Edible Crab is the most commercially important species of crab in Europe: 10,000 tonnes of Edible Crab are harvested from the English Channel every year.
  • Width of body: 10-20cm

Status

Common

Seasonality

All year round

Video

Edible Crab video

Edible crab

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