Common Shore Crab

Name: Common Shore Crab

Scientific name: Carcinus maenas

Category: Marine

Nature Stars: 30

What are nature stars?

About: Probably the commonest crab. A medium-sized crab, up to 9cm across. Very variable in colour, often greenish, red or brown. Lives amongst rocks and seaweed from mid shore down to beyond the low tide mark, feeding on detritus and small animals.

How to identify: The commonest crab on our beaches, with pointed spines around the front of the 'face'.

Where: Found all round our shores.

Fantastic fact: The Shore Crab has been introduced to many other parts of the world, including Australia, South Africa and California, where it has become an invasive pest.

Photograph credit: John Haslam