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THIS massive crab caught in the English Channel has claws so powerful they could crush a man’s wrist.
The giant edible brown crab was brought up from the deep off Portsmouth by a local fisherman.
It weighs over 9 pounds (4 kilograms), has a body measuring 30 cm wide and boasts huge claws that have a crushing strength of over 90 pounds per square inch — nearly four times that of a human hand.
The crab has been nicknamed Popeye because of its bulging arms, which it uses to tear prey apart and could easily disfigure any human.
Its discovery comes just eight months after a photo taken in the Whitstable Harbor in Kent appeared to show a crab measuring as much as 50 feet (15.24 meters) in width.
It is now set to be a popular display feature at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea after it was donated by the unnamed fisherman who caught it.
Aquarist Martyn Chandler said, “These crabs use their giant claws to crush and tear their prey.
“Weighing over 9 pounds, you wouldn’t want to dip your toe in any rock pool this crab was in.
“He’s a fantastic-looking specimen with an awesome set of fist-sized claws.
“We are currently keeping him in our quarantine area but the plan is for him to move in to his new home here at the aquarium in the coming days.
“He’ll be looked after and provided with everything he needs and there is the added bonus that he won’t have the temptation of any crab pots!
“No one is entirely sure how long crustaceans can live for but it is certainly decades so hopefully he has got a good few years left to enjoy his retirement.”
The edible crab — Cancer pagurus in Latin — is the most common crab found in U.K. waters.
Mature adults usually grow to a weight of 3 kg and a carapace size of 25 cm, meaning Popeye is one of the largest of its type to be found.
The creatures live up to 30 years although some have been known to live up to 100 years.
The largest known species of crab is the Japanese spider crab, which can measure more than 12 feet.(SD-Agencies)
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