The brown crab is the biggest edible crab that occurs naturally in Norwegian waters. Although the red king crab and snow crab are bigger, both of them were introduced to Norwegian waters by humans. Measured at the top of its shell, it is usually around 9 cm long and 15 cm wide, but under favourable circumstances, it can grow to an impressive width of 25 cm. Brown Crab ï?§ Scientific name: Cancer pagurus ï?§ Also know as: Edible Crab ï?§ Size: Up to 12 inches (30cm) across carapace ï?§ Distribution: Found throughout the North East Atlantic. The brown crab is a large species of crab found all around the British Isles. It is extremely commercially valuable meaning that a significant fishery has built up to catch this species. Description The brown crab is by far the largest crab species in British waters, with the carapace of a fully grown adult being around 20cm across, and in exceptional specimens can be 30cm across and weigh 9lbs. The upper shell of the crab is oval-shaped and usually an orange-red colour with paler undersides. Like all of the crab species in British waters they have eight legs and two, very large and powerful claws with the pincers usually being tipped black. One of the most distinguishable features of this species of crab is the pattern which runs along the edge of the carapace which is usually described as resembling a pie crust. Due to the very large and powerful claws, the brown crab can cause a very painful nip to humans it comes across. Distribution and Habitat The brown crab is distributed all around the British Isles and is found in areas where there are rocks and weed to provide cover. The crab will hide in cracks and under weed and emerge to forage for food. They are found throughout European waters with their distribution ranging from Norwegian waters down to the northern coastline of Africa, although they only have a very limited presence in the Mediterranean and are absent from the Black Sea. Commercial Importance Brown crabs are extremely commercially important and the brown crab fishery in British waters is one of the largest crab fisheries in the world, although a large proportion of the catch is exported to France and Spain. Around one-third of the overall weight of the crab is edible as crab meat. Despite the importance of this species there is very little known about overall stock numbers or the extent to which current fishing intensity is depleting stocks.