FEATURES
| Class: Molluscs Size: The length of its carapace reaches 5-7 centimetres. Diet: It feeds on worms, snails, dead fish, small molluscs, amphibians and aquatic vegetation. Colour: Brown |
The river crab, or freshwater crab (Potamon potamios), is a species of crab found not only in Cyprus but also on Aegean islands, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, and Israel.
This crab can be found in rivers, streams, lakes and generally on wet ground near water. In Cyprus, it is found, amongst other areas in the Akamas National Forest Park, in the Troodos Mountains, and in the forests of Paphos, Mahaira and Limassol.
Its population has been greatly reduced by the uncontrolled use of DDT and other insecticides during the anti-malaria campaign in previous decades. It is also currently threatened by climate change and habitat drainage.
It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered at European level.