Asian shore crab
Hemigrapsus sanguineus
- Usual depth0 m
- Water temperature10–25 °C
- Best monthsJune, July, and August
- How commonCommon
Photo credit: no rights reserved, uploaded by Andra Waagmeester · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
About this species
Hemigrapsus sanguineus, the Japanese shore crab or Asian shore crab, is a species of crab from East Asia. It has been introduced to several other regions, and is now an invasive species in North America and Europe. It was introduced to these regions by ships from Asia emptying their ballast tanks in coastal waters.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Hemigrapsus sanguineus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 122 records
- February: 164 records
- March: 237 records
- April: 718 records
- May: 850 records
- June: 1,173 records
- July: 1,479 records
- August: 1,139 records
- September: 1,004 records
- October: 1,004 records
- November: 390 records
- December: 131 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0 m · Deepest record: 1 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 10–25 °C
Photos
(c) Alie / C.A. Kratzer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Alie / C.A. Kratzer · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Alie / C.A. Kratzer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Alie / C.A. Kratzer · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Alie / C.A. Kratzer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Tyler Ekholm, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Sinéad Tuttle-Lerner, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Robbie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Asian shore crab, Japanese shore crab, Pacific crab, Asian Shore Crab, Asian Shore Crab, Japanese Shore Crab, East Asian Shore Crab, Japanese Shore Crab, Pacific Crab
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Asiatische Felsenkrabbe, Asiatische Küstenkrabbe, Asiatische Strandkrabbe
- French
- crabe japonais, crabe sanguin, Crabe sanguin (Le), Crabe japonais (Le), Grapse sanguin
- Japanese
- イソガニ, イソガニ(磯蟹)
- Korean
- 무늬발게
- Simplified Chinese
- 紅點近方蟹
Other scientific names: Grapsus (Grapsus) sanguineus, Heterograpsus maculatus, Heterograpsus sanguineus
Similar species
Estuarine crabHemigrapsus crenulatus
Common Japanese intertidal crabHemigrapsus penicillatus
Common Rock CrabHemigrapsus sexdentatus
Asian brush crabHemigrapsus takanoi
Tunneling Mud CrabAustrohelice crassa
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 4,145 open-data records from 1979 to 2022.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.