Pseudocarcinus gigas

(Lamarck, 1818)

Vernacular names

English : Tasmanian giant crab
French : Crabe géant de Tasmanie

Classification

Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Family : Pseudocarcinidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

Huge crab reaching a carapace width of over 46 cm and a weight of 13 kg. Its shell is white with more or less extensive red areas. Claws are massive and black at their tip, one of them is bigger than the others.

Range and habitat

Only found in the oceans off Southern Australia. Lives on muddy and rocky bottoms on the edge of the continental shelf, at depth between 20 and 820 meters (mostly below 100 meters, deeper in winter).

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : NOT LISTED
CITES : Not listed
Status : The species hasn’t been assessed so far. It’s known to be vulnerable to overfishing as it’s long lived and slow-growing.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation