Lithodidae Dromiidae Atelecyclidae Cancridae Pirimelidae Cheiragonidae Dorippidae Eriphiidae Epialtidae Inachidae Oregoniidae Pilumnidae Geryonidae Portunidae Potamidae Panopeidae Xanthidae Grapsidae Images Name list Publications Sites alex@equator.ru Whole checklist По-русски (in Russian) Porcellanidae Varunidae Camptandriidae Macrophthalmidae Pinnotheridae Hapalogastridae Plagusiidae Far East / North Pacific Black Sea Baltic Sea Freshwater crabs Arctic Ocean Designed and composed by Alex Alyakrinsky, 2011 Remarks:   “Until now this species was known as Carcinus mediterraneus Czerniavsky, 1884. Nardo's  (1847b) account, however, based on material from the lagoon at Venice, clearly provides the  oldest available name for the Mediterranean species of Carcinus.” [Manning & Holthuis, 1981:  74]. “Similar Species. Carcinus maenas is very similar to its close relative, Carcinus aestuarii. The  most consistent apparent difference is the shape of the male pleopods, which are paired  appendages found under the male's abdominal flap. In Carcinus maenas the two pleopods  curve outward, touching each other in the central part of the curve; in Carcinus aestuarii the  pleopods are straight and parallel and do not touch. In addition, Carcinus maenas is slightly  wider in shape than Carcinus aestuarii, and the front part of the carapace between the eye  sockets protrudes forward more in Carcinus aestuarii (for a more complete discussion, see  Yamada & Hauck 2001). [Cohen, Andrew N. 2005 Guide to the Exotic Species of San  Francisco Bay. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA, www.exoticsguide.org].  Portunidae Carcinus aestuarii Nardo, 1847 = Carcinus mediterraneus Czerniavsky, 1884 Black Sea Range. “Carcinus aestuarii (= C. mediterraneus) is native to the Mediterranean, Black and  Asov Seas, and has become established in Tokyo, Sagami, Osaka and Dokai Bays in Japan.”  [Gillespie, G.E. & Phillips, A.C. & Paltzat, D.L. & Therriault, T.W. 2007, p. 1].  “Mediterranean, also in Canary Islands, possibly in Atlantic adjacent to Mediterranean and  possibly in portions of the Suez Canal; intertidal (Zariquiey Alvarez,1968).” [Manning &  Holthuis, 1981: 74].  In the Black Sea - one of the most common species of crabs. It can be found in lagoons, bays,  coastal solt lakes, among Zostera, up to a depth of 70 m. Usually among stones, less often on  sand and gravel. [Kobjakova & Dolgopolskaya, 1969, p. 292].  Size of carapace. Up to 63 x 80 mm. [Kobjakova & Dolgopolskaya, 1969, p. 292].  Link to this image