Cancer bellianus

Cancer bellianus, the toothed rock crab, is a common species of crab in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Cancer bellianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Cancridae
Genus:	Cancer
Species:	C. bellianus
Binomial name
Cancer bellianus Johnson, 1861[1]

Description

It grows up to 130 millimetres (5.1 in) in carapace length, and is pale brown with red spots.^[2]

Distribution and ecology

Its geographical range extends from near Höfn on the south coast of Iceland (at nearly 64° N) south to Morocco, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.^[3] It is found at depths from 50 metres (160 ft) to over 730 m (2,400 ft).^[4] While the species is sometimes abundant in the south of its range, it is uncommon further north; all the specimens from Brittany and further north were male, and are thought to be recent travellers from further south, rather than representing a stable northern population.^[5]

Fisheries

C. bellianus is caught as bycatch by artisan fishermen targeting Palinurus elephas, and as much as 10 t can be caught annually.^[3]