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Tag: crab

Intertidal Invasion

Intertidal Invasion

These days, with globalization driving long-distance dispersal of species ranging from fungi to insects to plants, the term “invasive species” gets used a lot. To me, there is a difference between “non-native” and “invasive”. Although both terms refer to an organism that was not found here prior to colonialism, the term “invasive” is typically reserved for organisms that have not only established outside their native range, but have thrived and spread to the point of being a nuisance and can…

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Atlantic Rock Crab (Cancer irrotatus)

Atlantic Rock Crab (Cancer irrotatus)

Although the beach season is over for many folks, I feel exactly the opposite. I tend to avoid the crowds in the summer, and explore beaches during the colder weather months when they’re mostly empty. The parking is free, the birding is great, and beachcombing is absolutely a year-round activity. On a recent walk along Scusset Beach in Sandwich, I came across many crab shells washed up on the beach, the most numerous of which were the shells of the…

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Common spider crab (Libinia emarginata)

Common spider crab (Libinia emarginata)

While working in Pleasant Bay in Chatham last week, I saw numerous pairs of common spider crabs (Libinia emarginata) in the shallow water. Spider crabs have quite a different look from other local crabs. Their carapace is rounder with a distinctive beaklike protrusion. Their eight walking legs and two claws are long and narrow giving them a very spider-like appearance. This species is also called “nine-spined spider crab” due to the nine spines, or bumps, running down the center of…

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