The East Asian shore crab originated in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, near Japan, China and Korea. It has since made a world journey: In 1988, it was first found along the eastern coast of the USA (New Jersey). In the meantime, it has spread there over more than 900 kilometers of coast. In 1999, eleven years later, it surfaced for the first time in Europe, on the French coast by Le Havre. Large numbers were reported in 2004 on the dike on Texel. The crab has sturdy claws and legs. Males have a blister in their claw, making them easy to identify. This also explains the Dutch name 'blister crab'. Although they are smaller than the shore crab, they are very quick and have a mean pinch.