Charybdis japonica
Encyclopedia
Charybdis japonica, the Asian paddle crab, is a swimming crab species in the genus Charybdis
. Charybdis japonica has a hexagonal, concave carapace
around 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wide, the whole animal being pale green to olive green in colour.
It occurs naturally in the waters around Japan
, Korea
and Malaysia, but has become an invasive species
in New Zealand
.
Charybdis (genus)
Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for whirlpool.-Species:The genus Charybdis contains the following species:Subgenus Charybdis De Haan, 1833*Charybdis acuta Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for...
. Charybdis japonica has a hexagonal, concave carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
around 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wide, the whole animal being pale green to olive green in colour.
It occurs naturally in the waters around Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Malaysia, but has become an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.