Ballast-water-introduction
Guides
Cancer irroratus
Atlantic rock crab, peekytoe crab
A medium-sized marine crab native to the western North Atlantic, ranging from Iceland to South Carolina. Adults reach 133 mm carapace width and can live up to 8 years. The species occupies depths from intertidal zones to 790 m. It has become commercially significant as the 'peekytoe crab' and has established non-native populations in Iceland via ballast water transport.
Hemigrapsus sanguineus
Asian shore crab, Japanese shore crab
Hemigrapsus sanguineus is a small intertidal crab native to the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has become a highly successful invasive species in North America and Europe, first detected in New Jersey in 1988. The species exhibits broad physiological tolerance, thriving across wide ranges of salinity and temperature. Its rapid population growth and competitive superiority over native crabs have raised significant ecological concerns, though habitat specificity for complex rocky shorelines may limit its impact in some systems.