European Green Crab
Carcinus maenas
The European green crab lives in rocky shores, estuaries, salt marshes, and shallow coastal waters, tolerating a wide range of salinity and temperature. It is an active scavenger and predator, using strong claws to crack small mussels, snails, worms, and other crustaceans. When threatened, it raises its claws, wedges into cover, or relies on its hard carapace for protection. Notably, it is one of the world’s most invasive marine crabs, disrupting shellfish beds and native shore communities far beyond Europe.
- Type
- Shell / Water
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
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- European Green Crab