Great spider crab

The great spider crab, Hyas araneus, is a species of crab found in northeast Atlantic waters and the North Sea, usually below the tidal zone.[1]

Great spider crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Decapoda
Infraorder:
Brachyura
Family:
Oregoniidae
Genus:
Hyas
Species:
H. araneus
Binomial name
Hyas araneus

In 1986, two specimens were captured at the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, apparently transported by human agency.[2] It has been feared that the species would have an adverse effect on the native fauna, but there have been no further captures from the region since the 1986 specimens.[3]

The great spider crab can moult and get rid of their outer shell/skin. This can take some time but it lets them grow to great size. After they moult they are very vulnerable to predators because of a very soft exoskeleton.

References
  1. Kåre Telnes. "Great spider crab". The Marine Fauna Gallery of Norway. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  2. Marcos Tavares & Gustavo A. D. de Melo (2004). "Discovery of the first known benthic invasive species in the Southern Ocean: the North Atlantic spider crab Hyas araneus found in the Antarctic Peninsula". Antarctic Science. 16 (2): 129–131. doi:10.1017/S0954102004001877.
  3. H.J. Griffiths; R.J. Whittle; S.J. Roberts; M. Belchier; K. Linse (2013). "Antarctic Crabs: Invasive or Endurance?". PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066981. PMC 3700924. PMID 23843974.


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