Hemigrapsus sanguineus De Haan, 1835

The crab spread rapidly after its discovery, and breeding populations currently extend from North Carolina to Maine (35°–45°N). H. sanguineus is now the dominant crab in rocky intertidal habitat along much of the northeast coast of the USA and has displaced resident crab species throughout this region. The Asian shore crab also occurs on the Atlantic coast of Europe and was first reported from Le Havre, France (49°N, 0°E) in 1999. Invasive populations now extend along 1000 km of coastline from the Cotentin Peninsula in France to Lower Saxony in Germany (48°–53°N). Success of the Asian shore crab in alien habitats has been ascribed to factors such as high fecundity, superior competition for space and food, release from parasitism, and direct predation on co-occurring crab species. (Epifanio, 2013)

. Laboratory and field observations indicate that H. sanguineus is a generalist predator that can affect sympatric populations of mollusks and crustaceans (Brousseau and Baglivo, 2005; Griffen and Byers, 2009; Lohrer and Whitlatch, 2002b). However, broad ecosystem effects and actual economic impact remain unclear. (Epifanio, 2013)