Carcinus: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
'''''Carcinus''''' is a [[genus]] of [[crab]], which includes the [[Carcinus maenas|European shore crab]], an important [[invasive species]]. It is native and ubiquitous around the shores of Europe, being found from Norway to Portugal to Greece. As a result of its various planktonic larval life stages it has also established itself in temperate waters around the globe as a result of transport in the ballast water of cargo vessels, becoming a major invasive species. |
'''''Carcinus''''' is a [[genus]] of [[crab]], which includes the [[Carcinus maenas|European shore crab]], an important [[invasive species]]. It is native and ubiquitous around the shores of Europe, being found from Norway to Portugal to Greece. As a result of its various planktonic larval life stages it has also established itself in temperate waters around the globe as a result of transport in the ballast water of cargo vessels, becoming a major invasive species. |
||
Carcinus maenas is extremely euryhaline, being happy to survive and feed for short periods in almost pure freshwater. As a result it is predominantly found in proximity to estuaries, as these productive regions support a wide range of food items from live prey, such as the harbour ragworm, Nereis diversicolor and |
Carcinus maenas is extremely euryhaline, being happy to survive and feed for short periods in almost pure freshwater. As a result it is predominantly found in proximity to estuaries, as these productive regions support a wide range of food items from live prey, such as the harbour ragworm, Nereis diversicolor, and the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, as well as such detritus as algal material and the corpses of fish. Typically the crabs move up the estuary with the rising tide to forage, sometimes travelling distances of several miles. |
||
Under optimum conditions C. maenas rapidly outgrows its own carapace and has to molt in order to grow. The freshly molted crabs are soft-shelled and extremely vulnerable to predation and must, consequently, remain hidden for periods of several weeks until their carapace has hardened sufficiently to enable them to resist predation. They must sequester sufficient nutritional resources prior to molting in order to last them through this vulnerable period as they cannot feed whilst remaining hidden. |
Under optimum conditions C. maenas rapidly outgrows its own carapace and has to molt in order to grow. The freshly molted crabs are soft-shelled and extremely vulnerable to predation and must, consequently, remain hidden for periods of several weeks until their carapace has hardened sufficiently to enable them to resist predation. They must sequester sufficient nutritional resources prior to molting in order to last them through this vulnerable period as they cannot feed whilst remaining hidden. |
||
Revision as of 23:50, 2 September 2006
| Carcinus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Infraorder: | |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Carcinus Leach, 1814
|
| Species | |
|
Carcinus aestuarii Nardo, 1847 | |
Carcinus is a genus of crab, which includes the European shore crab, an important invasive species. It is native and ubiquitous around the shores of Europe, being found from Norway to Portugal to Greece. As a result of its various planktonic larval life stages it has also established itself in temperate waters around the globe as a result of transport in the ballast water of cargo vessels, becoming a major invasive species.
Carcinus maenas is extremely euryhaline, being happy to survive and feed for short periods in almost pure freshwater. As a result it is predominantly found in proximity to estuaries, as these productive regions support a wide range of food items from live prey, such as the harbour ragworm, Nereis diversicolor, and the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, as well as such detritus as algal material and the corpses of fish. Typically the crabs move up the estuary with the rising tide to forage, sometimes travelling distances of several miles.
Under optimum conditions C. maenas rapidly outgrows its own carapace and has to molt in order to grow. The freshly molted crabs are soft-shelled and extremely vulnerable to predation and must, consequently, remain hidden for periods of several weeks until their carapace has hardened sufficiently to enable them to resist predation. They must sequester sufficient nutritional resources prior to molting in order to last them through this vulnerable period as they cannot feed whilst remaining hidden.
.png){kind=small} | This crustacean-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |