An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar.

This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that’s been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted  — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Invasive Species Information Center
You are here
Home » Species Profiles » Aquatic Invasives » Aquatic Invertebrates » Asian Shore Crab

Asian Shore Crab

Asian shore crab
Scientific Name:
Hemigrapsus sanguineus (De Haan, 1853) (ITIS)
Common Name:
Asian shore crab, Japanese shore crab, Pacific crab
Photo:
Asian shore crab, adult - Photo by U.S. Geological Survey
Native To:
Western Pacific Ocean (McDermott 1991)
Date of U.S. Introduction:
First discovered in 1988 in New Jersey (McDermott 1991)
Means of Introduction:
Possibly through ballast water (NAS Database)
Impact:
Competes with native crustaceans and preys on other native species (NAS Database)
Current U.S. Distribution:
Eastern U.S. coastal region

Distribution/Maps/Survey Status

Images

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains selected highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. To view all related content for this species, click on "View all resources for species" in the top left of this page.

Partnership

Global Invasive Species Database - Hemigrapsus sanguineus (crustacean)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Species Compendium - Hemigrapsus sanguineus
CAB International.
NEANS Panel Online Guide - Asian Shore Crab
Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
New York Invasive Species Information - Asian Shore Crab

New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.
Non-native Species Information: Asian Shore Crab
Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat.
Rhode Island Marine & Estuarine Invasive Species Site - Asian Shore Crab
Narragansett Bay Research Reserve. Coastal Training Program.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Asian Shore Crab

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Federal Government

National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS) - Hemigrapsus sanguineus
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Asian Shore Crab
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).

International Government

Biological Synopsis of the Asian Shore Crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus (2012) (PDF | 871 KB)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Centre of Expertise for Aquatic Risk Assessment.
Marine Pests: Asian shore crab
National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions (Australia).

State and Local Government

Asian Shore Crab

Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Academic

Hemigrapsus sanguineus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant. Center for Coastal Resources.

Professional

Hemigrapsus sanguineus: Invasive to Maine (PDF | 315 KB)
Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Vital Signs.

Citations