Invertebrates
Edible Crab
Cancer pagurus · also called brown crab
Under a ledge in a rocky gully off the Cornish coast, an edible crab lifts its black-tipped claws, ready to crack open a mussel.
Overview
The edible crab, Cancer pagurus, is a Not Evaluated crab of rocky seabeds and sandy areas in the northeast Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to Morocco. Its scalloped shell, powerful claws, and long migrations make it one of the most familiar and most important crabs of European seas.
A crab that makes long journeys
Egg-carrying females leave the coast and travel long distances into deeper water, which means that crabs caught in one place may have been spawned far away.
Status
Not Evaluated globally, though widespread and commercially fished.
Edible Crab: common questions
Why is it called the edible crab?
It is named for being one of the most widely eaten crabs in Europe, and is caught in pots in large numbers.
What does the edible crab eat?
It eats mussels, whelks, other molluscs, and smaller crabs, which it cracks open with its powerful claws.
Why do females travel offshore?
Egg-carrying females move long distances into deeper water, where they release their larvae.
Where is the edible crab found?
It lives on rocky seabeds and sandy areas in the northeast Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to Morocco.