Marine-invasion
Guides
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.