#4452 · 🦀 crabs & other crustaceans

Chinese Mitten Crab

🇳🇱 Chinese wolhandkrab ·Eriocheir sinensis

🦀 Crabs & other crustaceans 📍 in the Netherlands (introduced)

8 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The Chinese mitten crab ( Eriocheir sinensis ; Chinese: t 大閘蟹, s 大闸蟹, p dàzháxiè , lit. "big sluice crab"), also known as the Shanghai hairy crab (上海大闸蟹, p Shànghǎi dàzháxiè ), is a medium-sized burrowing crab that is named for its furry claws, which resemble mittens. It is native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal habitats of eastern Asia from Korea in the north to the Fujian province of China in the south. It has also been introduced to Europe and North America where it...

base stats

NL sightings 186iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 1,266iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 186 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #17 most seen of the crabs & other crustaceans in NL.
1,266 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Henri Milne-Edwards in 1853 (173 years ago).
Not originally Dutch: it was introduced to the Netherlands.