The Mediterranean freshwater crab : 'Il-qabru'

Abstract

On the reverse side of the new £M10 note issued by the Central Bank of Malta, in the bottom left-hand corner, is a small drawing of a crab. This same crab appears on the £M20 gold coin issued by the same bank in 1975. This is the Mediterranean Freshwater Crab, variously known in Maltese as "Il-Qabru", "Granc tal-Ilma Helu" and "Granc tal-Art". As its names suggest this crab is semi-terrestrial and lives in places where there is a year-round supply of freshwater. Such places are very few in the Maltese Islands so it is hardly surprising that this rather unique crab is quite rare on our Islands.