London - You wouldn’t want to dip your toe into any rockpool containing this colossal crustacean – one of the largest edible crabs found in Britain.
Named Popeye thanks to these bulging arms, his shell is 12in across and he weighs a whopping 9lb – almost a third bigger than normal.
The crab has claws so powerful they could crush a man’s wrist, exerting a pressure of more than 90lb per square inch – almost four times as powerful as a human hand.
He was caught off Portsmouth and wound up at Viviers, a local fish merchant. But despite being destined for the dinner table, staff there were so impressed with Popeye that they offered to donate him to the Blue Reef aquarium in nearby Southsea.
undefinedIt jumped at the chance, and Popeye is expected to be a popular attraction thanks to his sheer size.
Aquarist Martyn Chandler said: “He’s a fantastic-looking specimen with an awesome set of fist-sized claws.
“These crabs use their giant claws to crush and tear their prey.
“We are currently keeping him in our quarantine area but the plan is for him to move in to his new home here in the coming days.
“He’ll be looked after and provided with everything he needs. It would be a shame for such an impressive-looking crab to end up as someone’s lunch.”
The edible or brown crab – or cancer pagurus to give it its Latin name – is the most common type in British waters. Mature adults usually only grow up to a weight of 6.5lb and have a life expectancy of between 30 and 100 years. Mr Chandler added: “Hopefully he has got a good few years left to enjoy his retirement.”
Daily Mail