Lithodes maja

Lithodes maja is a species of king crab which occurs in the colder waters of Europe and North America. It is found along entire coast of Norway, the northern half of the British Isles, and around the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Svalbard and off south-eastern Greenland. In Canada, it is found from Newfoundland southwards.

The carapace is almost circular and may reach a width of 13–14 centimetres (5.1–5.5 in). The whole body is brown or orange and is covered with large spikes. It lives on both soft and hard bottoms, from a few metres below the surface to around 800 m depth. Like most king crabs, females are asymmetrical, with the left side of the abdomen considerably larger than the right, although specimens with the reverse of this are occasionally found.

The low rate of egg production by this species, in comparison to species fished in the North Pacific, limits its abundance, making it unsuitable for commercial exploitation.