Polybius pusillus

Polybius pusillus, common name dwarf swimming crab, is a species of crab in the Portunidae family.

Description

Polybius pusillus is a small, colourful species with a broad, suboval carapace having a maximum width of. However, most specimens are usually less than. This species occurs in a wide range of colours. The front has three sharpened tusks, directed forward.

Distribution

Polybius pusillus occurs from North-West Africa, to Lofoten, Norway including the North Sea. It is found around the shores of: England, in such places as Northumberland, Yorkshire, The Wash, Thames, the eastern English Channel, Isle of Wight, Portland, Plymouth, the Scilly Isles, the Bristol Channel, Liverpool Bay; Scotland - Shetland, Orkney, Firth of Forth, Argyll and Clyde, The Minch; Ireland, occurring in and around Dublin, Belfast, County Mayo, Galway Bay, Fastnet Rock, County Cork; and elsewhere in the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Anglesey and the Isle of Man.

Habitat

Specimens range intertidally up to 100 metres, dwelling on sandy to stony bottoms, but prefer gravel or stony substrates.