Cancer (genus)

Cancer Temporal range: Miocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Edible crab, Cancer pagurus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Cancridae
Genus:	Cancer Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Cancer pagurus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms [1]
Platycarcinus H. Milne-Edwards, 1834

Cancer is a genus of marine crabs in the family Cancridae. It includes eight extant species and three extinct species, including familiar crabs of the littoral zone, such as the European edible crab (Cancer pagurus), the Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) and the red rock crab (Cancer productus). It is thought to have evolved from related genera in the Pacific Ocean in the Miocene.