HillNote
Classified as “one of the world’s most successful aquatic invaders” by the Global Invasive Species Database, the European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas) is native to Europe and northern Africa. Commonly referred to as green crab, the species is now also found in Australia, the North and South Americas, and South Africa.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada describes the green crab as an aggressive and “dominant predator, feeding upon many shellfish species such as clams, mussels, oysters, smaller crab and other crustaceans and even small fish.” The presence of green crab is problematic for those who commercially fish or farm the prey species mentioned above.