Brown crab

General

Lobsters and crayfish

Lobsters live in saltwater whilst crayfish live in freshwater habitats. Lobsters and crayfish are most often caught using pots or traps. Most lobsters are equipped with ten legs and two scissors as front legs. With these scissors, they are able to grab, cut or crack their food. Did you know lobsters and crayfish, just lie snakes, change their skin because their shell does not grow with their bodies? After changing their shell the animal grows fast and increases in weight.

There are many different lobster species. Most common are the American lobster in the north-western Atlantic ocean, and the European lobster in the north-eastern Atlantic ocean. Lobsters have a relatively slow growth rate and reach sexual maturity at a late age. Another frequently consumed lobster is the Norway lobster. This species is way smaller than the American and European lobster. This species occurs in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Mediterranean sea.

Brown crab

The brown crab is a large, reddish-brown crab with large and very strong chela’s (claws). Although most parts of this crab are edible, the claws are sold most often and are even regarded as a delicacy in some countries. The brown crab is common along the coasts of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and lives at depths of up to 300 m. They prefer rocky bottoms or ship wrecks and feed on other crustaceans and molluscs.