Commercially-fished
Guides
Arenaeus cribrarius
Speckled Swimming Crab
Arenaeus cribrarius, the speckled swimming crab, is a portunid crab distributed throughout the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Argentina. It inhabits shallow sandy substrates but occurs to depths of 61 m, burying itself in sediment while maintaining respiratory water flow through a maintained gap. The species exhibits nocturnal, solitary behavior and is an opportunistic feeder that ambushes prey from its buried position. It supports commercial fisheries, particularly along the Brazilian coast, and has demonstrated reproductive plasticity in response to population pressures.
Homarus
true lobsters, clawed lobsters
Homarus is a genus of large marine clawed lobsters containing two extant species: the American lobster (H. americanus) and the European lobster (H. gammarus). These are among the most commercially valuable crustaceans globally. The genus is distinguished by pronounced claw dimorphism, with one crushing claw and one cutting claw. Eight extinct species are known from the fossil record dating to the Cretaceous.
Pandalus
cold-water prawn
Pandalus is a genus of medium-sized cold-water shrimp in the family Pandalidae, inhabiting marine benthic environments primarily in northern seas. Members are protandric hermaphrodites, beginning life as males and transitioning to females with age. Several species support significant commercial fisheries, including P. borealis (northern shrimp), P. jordani (pink shrimp), and P. platyceros (spot prawn). The genus exhibits characteristic vertical diel migrations and variable nursery habitat associations across species.