Japanese mitten crab
Species of crab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Japanese mitten crab (Eriocheir japonica), is a species of crab native to Korea and Japan. It is catadromous, being usually found in freshwater and brackish environments, but moving downstream into coastal marine environments to breed.[2]
| Japanese mitten crab | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Varunidae |
| Genus: | Eriocheir |
| Species: | E. japonica |
| Binomial name | |
| Eriocheir japonica De Haan, 1835 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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It is commonly eaten and economically important in its native range.[3]
Distribution
The species is found in Japan, Korea, western Taiwan and the southeastern coast of Russia. Sporadic introduced populations are also present in the United States, and a degree of introgression of the species has occurred in the invasive European populations of its close congener, the Chinese mitten crab.[4]
Gallery
Larva
Mating
Comparison to the Chinese mitten crab (right)
