Brown Crab

Cancer pagurus

Also known as Edible Crab, this crustacean from the family Decapoda (ten limbs) has a reddish brown exoskeleton and black tipped claws.

They are found from Scandinavia to Portugal and are known to travel large distances, especially when spawning. They can grow up to 250mm but are usually landed at around 140mm.

The minimum landing size on the Holderness Coast for Brown Crab is 130mm being measured across the widest part of the back. An extra conservation measure for the brown crab is that it is illegal to land berried (egg bearing) animals. This ensures that a female crab can reproduce before being landed. The main landing times are spring and autumn.