Green Crab - Carcinus maenas
Shell somewhat broader than long with 5 marginal and 3 frontal teeth. The last pair of legs are flattened, but not paddle-shaped. The carapace grows up to 90 mm wide.
I saw lots of small (40-50 mm) green crabs in the high and low intertidal zones. They were all dead though. They appeared physically intact, so I don't think they were predated upon. Usually when I find dead crabs, all that is left is the empty carapaces. Not sure why they were dead, unless they were molts. This crab had a red, round, hole/mark on its left, front claw - maybe that played a role in its demise?
Carcinus maenas is a widespread invasive species and is listed among the 100 "world's worst alien invasive species". Although invasive, they are the most common crab along the New England shore.
"Carcinus maenas" is a common littoral crab, and an important invasive species, listed among the 100 "world's worst alien invasive species". It is native to the north-east 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.
