Asian paddle crab

Scientific name

Charybdis japonica

Key features

Key features of Asian paddle crab include:

• red, purple, orange to pale green and off-white shell
• five distinct spines on upper surface of foreclaw
• six spines on each side of eyes
• last set of legs have swimming paddles
• shell up to 12cm wide.

Habitat

The Asian paddle crab:

• shallow waters to 15m deep
• mobile, found on, or buried in, sand or mud
• found in estuaries, coastal lagoons and bays.

Impacts

The Asian paddle crab:

• aggressive, out-competes native species
• can carry white spot syndrome virus.

Known established populations

The Asian paddle crab is currently not present in Victoria.