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A monster crab that weighs more than 9lbs and has claws big enough to crush a man's arm has been caught in the English Channel.

The massive pincers are four times more powerful than the human hand and it has been nicknamed Popeye because of it bulging arms.

Photos of the animal, which has a 30cm body and uses its ferocious claws to tear prey apart, became a hit online.

It was caught by a unnamed fisherman off the coast of Portsmouth who gave the edible crustacean to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea.

Aquarist Martyn Chandler said: "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.

"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."

Popeye is the largest crab of his kind to be found.