Cancer bellianus explained

Cancer bellianus, the toothed rock crab, is a common species of crab in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Description

It grows up to in carapace length, and is pale brown with red spots.^[1]

Distribution and ecology

Its geographical range extends from near Höfn on the south coast of Iceland (at nearly 64° N) south to Morocco, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.^[2] It is found at depths from to over 730m (2,400feet).^[3] While the species is sometimes abundant in the south of its range, it is uncommon further north; all the specimens from Brittany and further north were male, and are thought to be recent travellers from further south, rather than representing a stable northern population.^[4]

Fisheries

C. bellianus is caught as bycatch by artisan fishermen targeting Palinurus elephas, and as much as 10 t can be caught annually.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cancer bellianus . M.J. de Kluijver . S.S. Ingalsuo . Macrobenthos of the North Sea: Crustacea . . January 23, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110608010418/http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/bis/crustacea.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=182 . June 8, 2011 . dead .
2. 10.1006/jmsc.2001.1079 . Pinho, M. R. . J. M. Gonçalves . H. R. Martins . amp . 2001 . Biology and abundance of Cancer bellianus (Decapoda, Brachyura) around the Azores . . 58 . 4 . 896–903. free .
3. Notes on the biology of Cancer bellianus (Brachyura, Cancridae) around the Canary Islands . J. A. Quiles . V. Rico . V. M. Tuset . J. I. Santana . J. A. González . . 449 . 1–3 . 193–199 . 2001 . 10.1023/A:1017546615270. 23107783 .
4. James Mason . C. Davidson . Cancer bellianus Johnson in Northern Atlantic waters (Decapod Brachyura) . . 1965 . 10 . 3 . 318–320 . 10.1163/156854066X00261 . 20102755.