Cancer borealis

Stimpson, 1859

Jonah crab

Cancer borealis, commonly known as the Jonah crab, is a marine brachyuran crab native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits waters from Newfoundland to Florida, primarily in rocky marine environments. The possesses a rounded, rough-edged with small light spots and robust claws with dark brown-black tips. Males reach larger sizes than females, with maximum carapace widths of 222 mm versus approximately 150 mm. The Jonah crab has been extensively studied as a model organism for neurophysiology, particularly for its , which has contributed to understanding neural circuit function and neuromuscular control.

Cancer borealis by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Cancer borealis by (c) Ian Manning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ian Manning. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cancer borealis: //ˈkænsər bɔːˈreɪəlɪs//

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Images

Appearance

Rounded with rough, toothed edges and small light spots. Robust claws with dark brown-black tips. in size: males reach maximum carapace width of 222 mm, females rarely exceed 150 mm. Overall robust, heavy-bodied crab typical of the Cancridae.

Habitat

Rocky marine in the western Atlantic Ocean. Occurs in coastal waters with water temperatures ranging from approximately 3°C to 25°C, subject to pH fluctuations depending on depth, temperature, and tidal cycles.

Distribution

Western Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland, Canada south to Florida, USA.

Behavior

Stomach muscles participate in food processing through grinding movements and filtration through the pylorus. Engages in with American lobster (Homarus americanus) and rock crab (Cancer irroratus) in rocky .

Human Relevance

Subject to commercial and recreational fisheries. Used extensively as a model organism in neurophysiological research, particularly for studies of stomatogastric ganglion function, neural circuit dynamics, and neuromuscular control. Research on this has advanced understanding of ion channel function, temperature and pH effects on muscle physiology, and mechanisms of neuronal identity.

Similar Taxa

Cancer irroratusRock crab; co-occurs in rocky Atlantic and engages in competitive interactions with C. borealis
Homarus americanusAmerican lobster; shares rocky and competes with Jonah crab for resources, though from different