Asian Shore Crab

Remember the crab we found on the beach last week? Turns out it is not a natural species to the area. The first one was sighted in NJ in 1988. And this was not a baby crab, as we thought because it was so small, but a full grown adult. Scientists are still deciding if they are a threat to the north eastern coastline because they eat almost everything and reproduce very quickly. They prefer rocky areas with clams, mussels and barnacles to feed on. That explains why we found it near the jetty.

I know this my be stretching it a bit. But in all my years at the Jersey Shore, I have never seen one before. And the crab being native to Asia, flourishing from Hong Kong to the northern Pacific islands by Russia, struck a cord with me. South Korea is definitely included in this area! I just think that it is neat that the summer we are waiting for a referral that I see, and catch, an Asian Shore Crab. The same kind of crab that is indicative to the area where our daughter will be from!

And it is funny because I don't exactly know why I took a picture of it. I guess since it isn't every day that you catch a crab in a bucket, I figured I would take a picture. Now I am so glad that I did. I will have to add it to her scrap book!

here it is again