Carcinus (Greek: Καρκίνος Karkinos) is a genus of crabs, which includes Carcinus maenas, an important invasive species, and C. aestuarii, a species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.[1]
C. maenas is among the 100 "world's worst alien invasive species". It is native to the northeast Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but has colonised similar habitats in Australia, South Africa, South America, and both Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America. It grows to a carapace width of 90 mm (3.5 in), and feeds on a variety of molluscs, worms, and small crustaceans, potentially impacting a number of fisheries. Its successful dispersion has occurred via a variety of mechanisms, such as on ships' hulls, packing materials, bivalves moved for aquaculture, and rafting.
C. maenas is known by different names around the world. In the British Isles, it is generally referred to simply as the shore crab. In North America and South Africa, it bears the name green crab or European green crab. In Australia and New Zealand, it is referred to as either the European green crab or European shore crab.
C. aestuarii является родным для Средиземного моря . Он очень похож на C. maenas и иногда считается подвидом C. maenas, а не отдельным видом. Эти два таксона можно отличить по передней части панциря между глазами, которая у C. maenas короткая и зубчатая , но длиннее и более гладкая у C. aestuarii . В отличие от C. maenas , C. aestuarii был вовлечен только в одну инвазию; береговая линия Японии была заселена либо C. aestuarii , либо гибридом C. aestuarii и C. maenas .