Figure 1. Weiss 1995.

The European Shore Crab

Usually dark green, almost black, with yellow or brown blotches, sometimes with a brown hourglass shaped mark on shell; mature females are red-orange on underside, males and immature crabs are yellow or green underneath; shell width up to 8 cm; often found under rocks and along banks of tidal creeks. This crab is in the family Portunidae, the swimming crabs. The last segment of the rear walking legs is somewhat flattened, although the tips are pointed (Weiss 1995).