Carcinus maenas

Basic information
Scientific name	Carcinus maenas	(No picture)
Common names	European green crab
Higher taxon	Portunidae, Decapoda, Malacostraca, Arthropoda
Natural range	Atlantic coastal region of N Europe to N Africa
Habitat	Reef, tidal flat, salt marsh, etc.

Invasion information
Range in Japan	Not established in Japan.
Origin	Unintroduced to Japan.
Date
Route	Ballast water and/or sea chest. This species was recorded from sea chest.
Impact	Potentially: predation on native molluscs, competition with native crabs, and impact on fishery. In Atlantic N America, molluscs actually declined by this species. This species is intermediate host of a parasite (thorn-headed worm). It possibly decline some birds. Native organism(s) affected: Native marine invertebrates, birds.
Regulation in Japan	100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species.
Introduced range in other countries	Atlantic coast of N America, S Africa, Australia.

Reference	Notes
DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki. (in Jpn) JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn) Otani (2004) Introduced marine organisms in Japanese coastal waters, and the processes involved in their entry. Japanese Journal of Benthology. 59:45-57 (in Jpn with English abstract) etc.	100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species