News / Rare crab caught
A RARE crab is the latest exotic aquatic specimen to be caught by a local Shetland fisherman.
Majestic skipper Karl Dalziel came across the Toothed Rock Crab in one of his creels while fishing off Fetlar recently.
From photos, scientists at Scalloway’s NAFC Marine Centre identified the creature, a relative of the more familiar brown crab.
This crab has rows of small serrated teeth around the edge of its carapace, from whence its name, as well as distinctive red spots on its pale brown shell.
With a range extending from Morocco to Iceland, the toothed rock crab is rarely found outside southern waters and only a few have been caught off Shetland.
The last one was captured by the Venture north of Muckle Flugga in October 2013.
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