The Tasmanian King Crab is a delicacy in its native Australia, but Claude was snapped up by a British aquarium worker who agreed to buy him and two other enormous crustaceans for a whopping £3,000.
He had them flown to the UK and they are now in quarantine at the Sea Life Park in Weymouth, Dorset, before they go on display.
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Claude, pictured, weighs a mighty 15lbs (6.8 kgs) and measures 15 inches (38cm) wide.
When he is fully grown he will weigh a weighty 30lbs and gain an extra three inches.
Although he is safe now he is would have been capable of producing about 20lbs worth of meat - and approximately 325 crabsticks.
The creatures - the second biggest crab species in the world - are likely to go on display at Sea Life Parks in Weymouth, Birmingham and Berlin in Germany.
Rob Hicks, head marine biologist for Sea Life, said: 'They are such impressive creatures we thought that it was worth the cost and effort of flying them half-way round the world to so they can flourish in an aquarium display.
'They had a stopover in Hong Kong and arrived with us a week ago.
'It took them a few days to get over the jet-lag but now they’re feeding happily and don’t seem any the worse of their trip.'
Jemma Battrick, aquarist at Weymouth Sea Life said: 'When I found out we were getting the crabs in I was really excited.
Mini me: Claude dwarfs a British Shore crab who is put on his back for size and to show just how gigantic he is
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