Composition and distribution of the European green crab in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Abstract

The European green crab (Carcinusmaenas) is a non-native invasive species to North America which has been found in the north-western At-lantic Ocean since the nineteenth century. In Prince Edward Island Canada, this species has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years, especially in estuaries found on the eastern and southern coasts. Our chemical analysis of the whole green crab determined that it was high in protein and ash, and low in lipid content. We also found the chemical composition varied only slightly for different sized crabs (40 to 70 mm) over the six-month sampling period, suggesting this species could be harvested any time be-tween May and October.