About Necora puber (Linnaeus, 1767)
Velvet crabs (Necora puber) have a dark, flattened carapace that ranges in color from black to brown. Their carapace is typically around 6.5 cm long, can reach up to 10 cm across, and individuals can weigh up to 250 grams. The carapace is covered in fine short yellowish hairs, which gives it a velvety texture. Tubercles are scattered across the upper surface of the carapace, with a higher concentration near the front. The frontal section of the crab's underside also has some tubercles and is covered in dense hairs. The front edge of the carapace is mostly straight, curving slightly inward along the center line, and has between seven and ten tooth-like indentations. The claw-bearing legs, called chelipeds, also have short hairs and are all the same short length. The outer side of the cheliped "wrist" bears a protective spine. In the British Isles, velvet crabs are found from Orkney, around the coasts of Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland. They also inhabit the nearby German Bight and parts of the West Frisian Islands.
