| Tasmanian giant crab | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Menippidae |
| Genus: | Pseudocarcinus H. Milne-Edwards, 1834 |
| Species: | P. gigas |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudocarcinus gigas (Lamarck, 1818) |
|
| Synonyms [1] | |
|
Cancer gigas Lamarck, 1818 |
|
The Tasmanian giant crab, Pseudocarcinus gigas (sometimes known as the giant deepwater crab, giant southern crab or queen crab) is a species of crab that resides in the southern waters of Australia on the edge of the continental shelf mostly at depths of 140–270 metres (460–890 ft).
The Tasmanian giant crab is one of the largest crabs in the world, reaching a mass of 13 kilograms (29 lb) and a carapace width of up to 46 centimetres (18 in). It is the only species in the genus Pseudocarcinus.[2] It has a white shell with claws that are splashed in red. The females' shells change colour when they are producing eggs.
The Tasmanian giant crab has been commercially fished in Tasmanian waters since 1992. Following concerns surrounding the sustainability of catch numbers, the total allowable catch was adjusted in 2004 to 62.1 tonnes (61.1 long tons; 68.5 short tons).[3] Twenty-five operators competed for the catch in 2005, delivering a total catch valued at about A$2 million.[3]