The edible crab (Cancer pagurus) is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is also referred to as Cromer crab, because it is commonly caught around the Norfolk port of Cromer. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... Classes Class Branchiopoda Subclass Phyllopoda Subclass Sarsostraca Class Remipedia Order Enantiopoda Order Nectiopoda Class Cephalocarida Order Brachypoda Class Maxillopoda Subclass Mystacocarida Subclass Copepoda Subclass Branchiura Subclass Pentastomida Subclass Tantulocarida Subclass Thecostraca Infraclass Cirripedia Class Ostracoda Order Metacopina Subclass Myodocopa Subclass Podocopa Class Malacostraca Subclass Eumalacostraca Subclass Hoplocarida Subclass Phyllocarida The... Suborders and Infraorders Dendrobranchiata Pleocyemata Caridea Stenopodidea Reptantia, comprising: Eryonoidea Achelata Astacidea Glypheidea Thalassinidea Anomala Brachyura The decapods or Decapoda are a group of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups of crustaceans, such as crabs, lobsters and shrimp, but also some families that are less well known. ... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term a women has crabs is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapods with thick boobs, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné ▶(?), and in English usually under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... Trinomial nomenclature is a taxonomic naming system that extends the standard system of binomial nomenclature by adding a third taxon. ... In scientific classification, a type is a specimen or description that corresponds to a taxon (a group of organisms), and helps to identify which organisms may be referred to with that name. ... In scientific classification, synonymy is the existence of multiple systematic names to label the same organism. ... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term a women has crabs is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapods with thick boobs, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Map sources for Cromer at grid reference TG2142 Beaches and cliffs east of Cromer in the summer Cromer is a seaside town (population 7749) on the north coast of Norfolk, England, with a late Victorian pier. ...

Whilst it can be found round most of the coast of the British Isles, the relatively shallow waters and chalky bottom off Cromer and the north Norfolk coast makes a particularly good breeding ground. The crabs there grow to a medium size and are full of well-flavoured meat. In other areas crabs of the same species grow larger, but can be more watery and slightly blander in their flavour. The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ...

Cancer pagurus has a pie-crust edge to its shell and its two large front pincers have black tips. It is illegal to catch crabs of too small a size around the coast of Britain, a conservation measure brought in in the 1870s. This well-regulated fishery has therefore been enabled to continue to operate in a balanced way for more than a century. Such crabs were once caught with hoop nets; the 19th century saw a change to crab 'pots', which enabled the fisherman to lay the baited pot one day and return the next to empty it of its live catch. In more recent years a larger 'ped' pot has come into use.

A Cromer crab boat off the town in the early morning light

The fishery today operates along the north Norfolk coast from Bacton to Weybourne. with one or two man boats working from the open beaches. One of the pleasures of a holiday visit to the area is to see the boats returning to the beach and unloading their catch - and maybe then to be able to buy a fresh crab for lunch. The visitor is rarely around to see the boats go out at first light. Other larger vessels now catch crabs further offshore, operating out of Wells harbour. Crab boat off Cromer, Norfolk, UK. This image © 2003 Poppyland Photographs, User:Pjrs. ... Crab boat off Cromer, Norfolk, UK. This image © 2003 Poppyland Photographs, User:Pjrs. ... Map sources for Wells-next-the-Sea at grid reference TF9143 Wells-next-the-Sea sits on the North Norfolk coast, England. ...

Visitors to the rock pools of north Norfolk and particularly to Cromer pier enjoy looking for the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. This smaller crab is again found all round the British Isles. Turn over a rock, and you are like to see such a crab scuttle for cover or burrow into the sand. Lower your beach bucket or hoop net from the pier and such a crab will crawl in - and when you've had your hour's catching, then they can all safely be returned to the water.

The velvet crab, Portunus puber, is becoming much more common around the north Norfolk coast. A generation ago, seeing such a crab in a crab pot was occasion for the fisherman to comment on this unusual catch. Now, it is commonplace. As with the arrival of other fish, the slight warming of the North Sea, generally ascribed to global warming, is reckoned to be the cause of this development. The velvet crab is an edible crab, but it is more difficult to get to market. Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to 2004 Mean temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans. ...

External links

• Edible crab, Cancer pagurus

Further Reading

• Crabs and Shannocks - the Longshore Fishermen of North Norfolk, Stibbons, Warren and Lee, Pub: Poppyland Publishing, 1983, ISBN 0946148023