This massive crab caught in the English Channel has claws so powerful they could crush a man's wrist.

The giant edible brown crab was brought up from the deep off Portsmouth by a local fisherman.

It weighs over 9lbs, has a body measuring 30cm wide and boasts huge claws that have a crushing strength of over 90lb per square inch - nearly four times that of a human hand.

Scroll down for video

Aquarist Martyn Chandler carefully handles the mammoth crab brought in to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea by a local fisherman

'Popeye' was found off the coast of Portsmouth. With claws the size of fists, he's capable of crushing strength four times that of a human being

The crab has been nicknamed Popeye because of its bulging arms, which it uses to tear prey apart and could easily disfigure any human.

Its discovery comes just eight months after a photo taken in the Whitstable harbour in Kent appeared to show a crab measuring as much as 50ft in width.

It is now set to be a popular display feature at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea after it was donated by the unnamed fisherman who caught it.

Aquarist Martyn Chandler said: 'These crabs use their giant claws to crush and tear their prey.

The crustacean weighs over 9lbs, has a body measuring 30cm wide and boasts huge claws that have a crushing strength of over 90lb per square inch

Its gigantic claws are the size of fists and are four times as powerful as the average human hand

'Weighing over 9lbs, you wouldn't want to dip your toe in any rock pool this crab was in.

'He's a fantastic-looking specimen with an awesome set of fist-sized claws.

'It is clear that he has been around for a long time and it would be a shame for such an impressive-looking crab to end up as someone's lunch.

'We are currently keeping him in our quarantine area but the plan is for him to move in to his new home here at the aquarium in the coming days.

'He'll be looked after and provided with everything he needs and there is the added bonus that he won't have the temptation of any crab pots!

'No one is entirely sure how long crustaceans can live for but it is certainly decades so hopefully he has got a good few years left to enjoy his retirement.'

This photograph, which was shared online, appears to show a crustacean that is at least 50ft wide lurking in the shallow water. It dwarfs the fishing boasts resting on the nearby pier

The edible crab - Cancer pagurus in Latin - is the most common crab found in UK waters.

Mature adults usually grow to a weight of 3kg and a carapace size of 25cm, meaning Popeye is one of the largest of its type to be found.

The creatures live up to 30 years although some have been known to live up to 100 years.

The largest known species of crab is the Japanese spider crab, which can measure more than 12ft.

Last year's disputed sighting of a 50ft crab photographed in the Whitstable harbour in Kent had many convinced an even larger crustacean was lurking in British waters.