''Hemigrapsus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of varunid crabs comprising thirteen species native almost exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, but two have been introduced to the North Atlantic region.

Biogeography

The natural range of the genus is restricted to the Pacific Ocean, except for ''

Hemigrapsus affinis ''Hemigrapsus'' is a genus of varunid crabs comprising thirteen species native almost exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, but two have been introduced to the North Atlantic region. Biogeography The natural range of the genus is restricted to th ...

'' which lives along the Atlantic coasts of South America, from

Cape São Roque Cape São Roque ( Port. ''Cabo de São Roque'') or Cape of Saint Roch, is a cape in the northeastern tip of Brazil. Cape São Roque is located in the municipality of Maxaranguape, 51 km north of Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte ...

(

Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Norte (, , ) is one of the states of Brazil. It is located in the northeastern region of the country, forming the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. The name literally translates as "Great Northern River", re ...

state, Brazil) to the

San Matías Gulf The San Matias Gulf is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Patagonia, Argentina. It is bordered by the Río Negro Province to the north and west, and the Valdes Peninsula of the Chubut Province to the south. It is "one of the largest ...

, (

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

, Argentina). '' H. estellinensis'' is almost certainly extinct, but was endemic to a hypersaline spring in the

Texas Panhandle The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...

, from the sea. Populations of ''

Hemigrapsus sanguineus ''Hemigrapsus sanguineus'', the Japanese shore crab or Asian shore crab, is a species of crab from East Asia. It has been introduced to several other regions, and is now an invasive species in North America and Europe. It was introduced to thes ...

'' have been introduced from the species' native range in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both Geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The modern State (polity), states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. ...

to several places, and now range along the Atlantic coast of North American from

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, along the West European coast from northern Spain to Denmark, and in the northern

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

and northern

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

. '' H. takanoi'' is native to East Asia, but has been introduced to western Europe, now extending from northern Spain to Denmark, including the westernmost

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

area.

Species

Fifteen species are currently recognised: *''

'' Dana, 1851 *''

Hemigrapsus crassimanus ''Hemigrapsus'' is a genus of varunid crabs comprising thirteen species native almost exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, but two have been introduced to the North Atlantic region. Biogeography The natural range of the genus is restricted to th ...

'' Dana, 1851 *'' Hemigrapsus crenulatus'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) *†'' Hemigrapsus estellinensis'' Creel, 1964 *'' Hemigrapsus gibbus'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846) *''

Hemigrapsus longitarsus ''Hemigrapsus'' is a genus of varunid crabs comprising thirteen species native almost exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, but two have been introduced to the North Atlantic region. Biogeography The natural range of the genus is restricted to th ...

'' (Miers, 1879) *'' Hemigrapsus nudus'' (Dana, 1851) *'' Hemigrapsus octodentatus'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) *'' Hemigrapsus oregonensis'' (Dana, 1851) *'' Hemigrapsus pallipes'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) *'' Hemigrapsus penicillatus'' (De Haan, 1835) *''

'' (De Haan, 1835) *'' Hemigrapsus sexdentatus'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) *'' Hemigrapsus sinensis'' Rathbun, 1931 *'' Hemigrapsus takanoi'' Asakura & Watanabe, 2005

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3006187 Grapsoidea Decapod genera Taxa named by James Dwight Dana