Green Crab

Carcinus maenas

Image of a green crab from above against a black background
Image by Hans Hillewaert from Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Physical: Green crabs have five marginal teeth around the edge of the carapace. Females are reddish on their ventral surface, while males and juveniles tend to be more yellow. The average size is 10 cm.

Habitat: C. maenas occur between the intertidal zone and 30 ft of water along the coast of the northeastern United States. They have been found as far north as Nova Scotia, with New Jersey as the southern part of its range.

Feeding: C. maenas are scavengers, and feed on dead or dying organisms on the sea floor.

Breeding: Like most crabs, the Green crab produces a large egg mass, or sponge, on the underside of the female that is composed of fertilized eggs. The females carry the red to orange sponge until their eggs hatch.

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