Systematic Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
Family: Portunidae
Genus: Portunus
Species: Portunus pelagicus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: Blue Swimming Crab
Chinese name: 花蟹

Please click the picture to view different gender species.

Carapace covered with scattered, coarse granules, and whitish or pale-bluish irregular meshwork pattern, often with short but dense pubescence between the granules. Clear mesogastric, epibranchial and obscure metagastric ridges on the carapace. Front cut into 4 teeth. Anterolateral margin of carapace armed with 9 spines. The last one is largest, projecting laterally. Long and stout bluish chelipeds, 3.5 times longer than that of carapace.

Sandy or muddy bottoms, 10-30 m deep.

Carapace length ~70 mm, width ~150 mm.

Hong Kong - Shui Ho, Southern waters, Western waters, Mirs Bay, Tolo Harbour & Tai Tan. China - Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan Is., Zhejiang; Japan, Tahiti, Philippines, Australia, Thiland, Malay Archipelago and East Africa.