Asian Shore Crab

The Asian Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) originated in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, near Japan, China and Korea. It was first identified in the U.S. in 1988 at Cape May, New Jersey and now ranges from Maine to North Carolina.  It is thought to have arrived in the United States as larvae in ballast discharged from cargo ships from these areas. It competes for similar habitat to native blue crab, rock crab, and lobster.  The Asian Crab's breeding season is twice as long as native species so its wide-ranging appetite and growing population threaten both coastal ecosystems and aquaculture operations.

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Resources

Asian Shore Crab from the USDA National Invasive Species Information Center provides a profile on the species.

Eat The Invaders: Asian Shore Crab provides background information on this species as well as recipes for its preparation. 

Asian Shore Crab Factsheets - Information from New York Invasive Species covers identification and impact of Asian shore crab.

Asian Shore Crab Effects on Other Species - an article on eight-year record of Asian shore crab invasion in western Long Island Sound estuary.

Effects of Asian Shore Crab in New England - an article on the role of foraging in the success of invasive Asian shore crabs in New England.

Last updated September 15, 2023