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Shore crab -
Carcinus maenas
Scientific names: Karkinos is the Greek word for crab.
The Latin word maenas refers to a woman who took part
in the "festivities" in honour of the wine god Dionysos in Greek mythology.
These more or less naked dancing women were called menaders or bacchants.
Singing in honour of Dionysos, they mutilated those animals and humans
that got in their way.
It was Linné that gave the shore crab its scientific
name, he probably thought of the menaders when he found out how a crab
tears its prey apart with its claws while eating.
Other English names: Green crab, green shore crab and harbour
crab.
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