Cancer pagurus: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the cancer pagurus lives – recorded in 11 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Cancer pagurus
Group	Crabs, lobsters & shrimps
Found in	11 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Crustacean
Order	Decapoda
Family	Cancridae

Where does the cancer pagurus live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the cancer pagurus in 11 countries and territories across Europe. In Norway it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the cancer pagurus?

The cancer pagurus (Cancer pagurus) is a crustacean in the order Decapoda and the family Cancridae, genus Cancer. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the cancer pagurus

Cancer pagurus, commonly known as the edible crab or brown crab, is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and perhaps the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown colour, having an oval carapace with a characteristic "pie crust" edge and black tips to the claws. A mature adult may have a carapace width up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) and weigh up to 3 kilograms (6+1⁄2 pounds). C. pagurus is a nocturnal predator, targeting a range of molluscs and crustaceans. It is the subject of the largest crab fishery in Western Europe, centred on the coasts of Ireland and Britain, with more than 60,000 tonnes caught annually.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cancer pagurus (revision 1372466581), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q752188 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).