Giant Tasmanian king crab gets claws into new home
A giant Tasmanian king crab has had a lucky escape from an Australian cooking pot and been given a new home in the West Midlands.
The 18lb monster crab, named Russell after feisty Aussie actor Russell Crowe thanks to his gladiator-style suit of armour and no-nonsense attitude, will now live at the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham after being saved from the dinner table.
Fished from the deep waters off southern Australia, he and two more of his kind were destined for market, and probably the barbecue, until a Sea Life scout spotted them and struck a deal with the fishermen.
The three were flown to the UK at a cost of £3,000 each, and delivered to Sea Life's centre in Weymouth, Dorset.
Until now Russell has been twiddling his giant claws and growing steadily bigger in a behind-the-scenes quarantine tank.
Jamie Turner, from Birmingham's Sea Life, said: "We thought it was time Russell was unveiled to an admiring public."
Tasmanian king crabs are the second biggest species in terms of body mass, in the world and Russell could double in size.
