Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis)
Also known as the big sluice crab or the Shanghai hairy crab, the Chinese mitten crab is a species of varunid crab that is native to the coastal estuaries of eastern Asia, ranging from Korea to the Fujian province of China. It has also been introduced to Europe and North America and is considered and invasive species.Like other crabs E. sinensis feeds on a wide variety of things ranging from plants, various invertebrates, fish and detritus.
E. sinensis spends most of its life in fresh water, but return to tidal estuaries to mate. After mating they will return to brackish water to hatch their eggs. After development the juvenile crabs will move upstream, completing the life cycle.
Classification
Animalia-Arthropoda-Crustacea-Malacostraca-Decapoda-Brachyura-Varunidae-Eriocheir-E. sinensis
Images: Natural History Museum and Blickwinkel/Alamy