Cancer borealis Stimpson, 1859
Jonah crab
Cancer borealis
photo by Harvey-Clark, Chris

Family:  Cancridae (rock crabs)
Max. size:  16 cm CW (male/unsexed); max.weight: 95.0 g
Environment:  benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 800 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Dry Tortugas, Florida and Cuba.
Diagnosis:  Carapace approximately 2/3 as long as wide, surface coarsely granulate; front (excluding inner orbital angles) with 3 teeth, middle one exceeding others and depressed (flattened dorsoventrally); anterolateral margins divided into 9 quadrangular lobes or teeth with margins minutely denticulate; notches between teeth continued on carapace as short, closed fissures. Pincers stout, nearly as long as second legs, carpus and hand with strong granulose rugae, upper margin of pincers denticulate, carpus with sharp inner dorsal spine. Color: red dorsally, yellow ventrally; back with 2 curved lines of yellowish spots and behind middle, a figure somewhat resembling letter H; legs mottled and reticulated with yellow and red, more or less purplish.
Biology:  Minimum depth from Ref. 97531.
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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