Hemigrapsus
Dana, 1851
Species Guides
3- Hemigrapsus nudus(Purple Shore Crab)
- Hemigrapsus oregonensis(yellow shore crab)
- Hemigrapsus sanguineus(Asian shore crab)
Hemigrapsus is a of varunid crabs containing fifteen recognized . The genus is naturally distributed almost exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, with one species to the Atlantic coast of South America. Two species—H. sanguineus and H. takanoi—have been introduced from East Asia to the North Atlantic region, where they have established along European coasts and the eastern United States. One species, H. estellinensis, is considered extinct; it was endemic to a hypersaline spring in the Texas Panhandle.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Hemigrapsus: //ˌhɛmɪˈɡræpsəs//
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Distribution
Native range restricted to the Pacific Ocean. Hemigrapsus affinis occurs naturally along Atlantic coasts of South America from Brazil to Patagonia. Introduced of H. sanguineus established along Atlantic coast of North America from Maine to North Carolina, and along European coasts from northern Spain to Denmark, plus northern Adriatic and Black Seas. Introduced populations of H. takanoi established in western Europe from northern Spain to Denmark, including westernmost Baltic Sea. H. estellinensis formerly to a hypersaline spring in Texas Panhandle, now extinct.
Human Relevance
H. sanguineus and H. takanoi are in the North Atlantic region, introduced from their native East Asian range. These introductions have altered local intertidal dynamics in invaded regions.