types of crabs

_g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); Introduction . One of the identifying features of the Florida Stone crab is its large pincers on the front of its body. Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs that have molted. The taste of this variety of crab is described as moist and tender with salty hints of the ocean. Compared to the size of other popular types of edible crabs, the Peekytoe crab is a medium-sized crab. If you can obtain a naturally sweet species like flower crab, go light on the seasoning to let the natural flavor of the crab come through. Hermit crabs are not a true species of crab as they don’t belong to the Brachyura infraorder. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); The Horseshoe crab is a type of arthropod and, despite their name, are not a true variety of crab. In order to be harvested, they are required by law to be a minimum of 6.25 inches in length, and only the males are allowed to be harvested. The Florida Stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) is another popular type of marine crab that is prized for its delicious delicately-flavored meat. There are giant snow crabs or king crabs with their long spiky legs and claws that contain most of the crab’s meat. At the end of the article, you will also learn about a few crab species and different types of crabs that are rarely consumed. } catch(e) {}, Nayturr _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-source'); 13+ Different Types of Crabs. Other commercially important taxa include Portunus pelagicus, several species in the genus Chionoecetes, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Charybdis spp., Cancer pagurus, the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister), and Scylla serrata, each of which yields more than 20,000 tonnes annually. by Aaron Baldwin. Many people say that coconut crabs taste like a cross between a crab and a lobster. However, it is most commonly found in the area stretching from Texas to Massachusetts. They also have a unique form of protecting themselves, as they usually use one of their legs – which contains a small circular groove at the base – to snap off a leg should it be held by a predator or get entangled to the point where it cannot escape any other way. Like other types of crabs, it is only legal to harvest the male King crabs, and the meat is snowy white with a yummy, delicate flavor and an outer edge that is bright red in color. It is not so much an exploration of the different families of crabs as an examination of what kinds of places crabs live with examples of individual species. Horseshoe crabs are from the Limulidae family and live in shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans. Although this is an edible type of crab, it is rarely eaten because of its low meat content. The crab varieties come by these names due to the color of their shells. Delicious? Their popular name is a misnomer, as they are not true crabs, nor even crustaceans, as crabs are, but a different order of arthropod.. The reason they are called. By law, stone crabs have to be boiled for seven minutes, after which they must be frozen or put on ice. This is a medium-sized crab variety with the carapace being between 6” and 9” (15 – 22 cm) wide. Other names include Queen crabs and tanner crabs. With a firm texture and a taste that is sweet and succulent, stone crabs have to be 2 to 2.75 ounces in size. Photo: basykes / flickr / CC-BY 2.0. These compact brown-orange crabs have a bumpy shell with orange or lightly-colored dots on it. Some of them make great pets, whereas others aren’t as suitable. } catch(e) {}. Different crab species require different marine environments for survival. In fact, species of king crabs are among some of the largest types of crabs on the planet. They’re sold live, cooked whole, frozen, and as picked meat. In the first list we have atlantic rock crab or also known as Cancer irroratus for its scientific name.This species of crab can’t be underestimated because of its small size which is only about 13 mm. This is when a crab has just shed its outer shell (exoskeleton) and the new one hasn’t hardened yet. Bairdi crabs are also called “true” crabs, and their pincer claws are in the front of their legs. This is where geothermic energy is released into sea water due to holes in the earth's crust. If you happen to eat a coconut crab while visiting a Pacific Island, you may also find that they have a slight taste of coconut. King crabs are one of the most common and best types of edible crabs due to their large size and delicate taste. Brown, brown-yellow, or dark red carapace. Rather than catch and cook the whole crab, when these crabs are caught, one claw is pulled off. The Dungeness crab is a relatively large type of ocean crab. Bairdi crabs have short tails and are very specialized. Photo credit: Steve Childs. A rainbow land crab. Snow Crab. This is not as large as the Red King crab, but can still weigh up to 18 lbs (8.2 kg). For simply steamed legs, try this King Crab Leg recipe. They are small crabs of no more than 5 cm across which are distributed along West Africa, the Western Atlantic, the Eastern Pacific and the Indo-Pacific. As hermit crabs grow, they have to discard their shells and look for larger ones. Of course, this is not to say you should pick up a horseshoe crab by the tail, because that action can harm the animal. This crab variety is prized for the amount of meat in its body. For example, snow crabs live in the cold waters around Alaska, Greenland, Siberia, and Japan. Ocean crabs live in deeper waters, and some species even inhabit places as inhospitable as hydrothermal oceanic vents. If you don’t know the major differences about the crabs, below is the list of types of crabs to make you aware more about these giant species. However, the Florida stone crab is found in warmer seas in the Gulf of Mexico, on the coast of Florida, and in salt marshes in some US states. Blue Crab A native of the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the blue crab ranges from Nova Scotia to Argentina. There are many types of crab; each crab has its own characteristics and is used for cooking or for different purposes. In fact, its scientific name literally means ‘beautiful savory swimmer.’ These swimming crabs can grow to about 9” (23 cm) in width (excluding the length of the legs). The largest crab species is fished from October to January in Norton Sound, Alaska, and the Bering Sea. Although rarely on the menu, Coconut crabs (Birgus latro) are an edible type of land-dwelling crab. They have … The most prolific species on the east coast of the U.S., they range in size from 3 1/2 inches up to 5 1/2 inches or more on the market. The Brown crab (Cancer pagurus) is an edible crab with a reddish-brown shell, legs, and claws. They use gastropod shells that hide their soft abdomen as they grow larger because without these shells they are open to a predator’s attack. Dungeness crabs have very hard shells and five separate pairs of legs. This is because, without freezing, stone crabs can have an iodine taste that is not very pleasant. The graceful crab is very similar in appearance to the Dungeness crab, however it is much smaller and lacks the “teeth” along the edge of the pinchers. You can boil them in a similar way to Blue crab and they have a rich sweet taste. You can click in to each one to find more information about each type, view pictures and find where their respective habitat's are and crab season's. Until around 1997, these crabs were a throwaway product and were considered of little use by most lobster fishermen. Their soft curved bodies can retract into hard shells left behind by various types of snails. The leg span can reach a massive 18 ft. (5.5 m) in length. Alaskan waters house an array of these delicious crab breeds that are ready to be split open for your next meal. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); It is generally boiled in salt water to cook it. Types of Tea: Varieties of Tea With Their Flavor, Caffeine Content and More, The Tastiest and Most Exciting Types of Cheese You Didn't Know About, Types of Bread: 20 Different Bread Types from Around the World (With Pictures and Names), Types of Cuisine From Around the World With Their Popular Foods, Types of Crabs: Different Kinds of Crabs from Around the World (with Pictures), Types of Fish with Their Name, Picture, and Flavor, Types of Oysters with Their Name, Picture, and Flavor. You can eat hermit crabs; however, they are generally quite small and not worth the bother. 1,594. The shallows at Three Tree Point are a good place to encounter this species. Its carapace can grow up to 5.25” (13 cm) in diameter. The brown shell turns a lighter shade of brown when cooked. Crabs are very old creatures, dating back to the Jurassic Period which was 200 million years ago. These animals usually live in intertidal zones, such as the shores of beaches, estuaries and mangroves. Blue Crab . Snow crabs found in the Bering Sea can be found approximately 650 feet below the surface, in sandy or muddy environments. They have sweet white meat that has an oilier texture than regular crab meat. They tend to live in shallower waters in bays and estuaries along the coast. With the Florida Stone crab, it is only the meat from the large claws that is consumed. Cooking a Blue crab causes the shell to turn a distinct deep red color common to most cooked crustaceans. Cooked Dungeness crabs take on a light pink to red color. There are over 6,000 types of crab and crab subspecies. Rather than being something to fear, the meat of a Japanese spider crab is a delicious delicacy. These different types of crab can be cooked in numerous ways, although most people prefer to boil or steam their crab. Most varieties of crab have hard outer shell (called an exoskeleton), 3 walking legs on either side of their body, and 2 pinching claws. Stone crabs have large claws that are very hard and have a lot of meat on the inside. It has smaller chelae than other popular crabs, such as the Florida Stone crab. They are also called Tanner crabs and are a variety of the Snow crab. Hermit crab is a type of small crab that doesn’t develop its own hard shell. Scroll below to know more. The anemone benefits by receiving food scrapes from the crab, while the crab benefits by getting a bit of extra protection and camouflage. They are usually cracked open with a mallet and served with a variety of dipping sauces. Blue crab is a popular type of edible crab. 5 Orangutan Crab Achaeus Japonicus. Compared to varieties of seawater crabs, the Southern European crab is tiny in comparison. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); As its name suggests, the Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) has blue colored shell and legs when caught in the wild. When it comes to taste, the spider crab has a sweeter taste than brown varieties of crab. The meat extracted from the claws is one of the best to eat – it is sweet and succulent with a firm texture. Although there are dozens of different types of crabs, only a handful dominate the market: Alaska king crab: The Alaska king crab, the largest of all crabs, is mostly sold as cooked and frozen meat from the legs and claws. Blue crab claws are also available. _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); They vary in size from the Pea Crab which is 0.27 to 0.47 inches in length to the Japanese Spider Crab that spans 12 feet from claw to claw. For my money, pound for pound (and king crabs can weigh up to 10 pounds each), I’d go with Alaskan red king crab legs over lobster tail any day. True crabs typically have quite a short projecting “tail” and the reduced abdomen is hidden entirely under the thorax. An adult brown crab can weigh up to 6.6 lbs (3 kg) with about one-third of its weight being meat. This is not a problem for them, because they can grow another leg from the scar where the last one was found. It is also a variety of the Hermit crab, although it doesn’t have a shell when it is fully grown as those crabs do. Not only do the shells protect the abdomen, but the crabs can also hide within them whenever necessary. The Spruce / Bailey Mariner Blue Crab . For example, the name ‘coconut crab’ is because of their ability to climb up palms, pick coconuts, and then open them on the ground. Looking like the rock star of the crab world, the orangutan crab is a small species of … 3. Coconut crabs are that they love coconuts and will even climb trees to get at them. An adult green crab may only average about 2” (5 cm) and they have been a popular food source for hundreds of years. Blue crabs: By far the most common fresh crab is the blue crab. It can be steamed, boiled, grilled, sautéed, or even roasted. You can usually find king crabs at the bottom of the ocean or on muddy, sandy floors at a depth of anywhere from 90 – 300 feet. They can also be called rock or bay crabs, although the rock crabs are usually actually a type called a snow crab. Types of Mangrove Crabs Fiddler Crab. The Horsehair crab is a type of small to medium-sized edible crab. Another species of hermit crabs, the Coenobita rugosus, looks very similar to the Ecuadorian crabs except for a few key differences. var _g1; The Latin name for blue crabs means “beautiful swimmer,” and the name suits it well because it is a beautiful, blue-green-colored crab. In fact, Hermit crabs consider their shells so important that they are known to kill other Hermit crabs in order to steal their shell. Types Of Crabs - There are about 850 types of crabs that are found throughout tropical and semi-tropical regions. } It also has various color such as orange, red, and purple. A sweet, easy staple at all-you-can-eat seafood buffets. Another name for this seafood delicacy is the Atlantic rock crab. Bairdi crabs are a member of the snow crab species and one of the few types of edible crabs. Hermit crabs are usually purchased as pets for children because they are fun to play with and very small. The Latin name for blue crabs means “beautiful swimmer,” and the name suits it well because it is a beautiful, blue-green-colored crab. INTRODUCTION TO THE CRABS, SHRIMPS AND CRAYFISH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (ORDER DECAPODA) Pacific Red Hermit Crab (Elassochirus gilli), photo by Aaron Baldwin. The meat of the female crabs is a brown type of crab meat that has a rich flavor. The Florida Stone crab has large claws with sweet and succulent meet. When caught in the wild, Red King crabs have light brown jaggy body. Source = Shopify . Use a cracker on the tough, spiny leg clusters to access long, thick spears of meat inside. They live in water that at least 1000 feet deep. Despite this large crab having a ferocious look of something out of a Sci-Fi movie, it is not an aggressive species. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { They are also called ‘robber crabs’ or ‘palm thief’ as they are speculative creatures that will steal anything edible they can find. Its carapace can grow up to 5.25” (13 cm) in diameter. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); Analysis of some of these crabs are as follows; 1. One type of edible freshwater crab is the Southern European crab (Potamon fluviatile). 15 Different Types of Ivy (Plus Essential Facts), 4 Types of Fossil Fuels (Plus Interesting Facts), Three Types of Mammals (Plus Examples for Each). These crabs are recorded among the largest species of crabs in the world. Soft-Shell Crabs. Most Dungeness crabs live approximately ten years, and because of their taste, there is an extremely popular type of crab to eat. Catching these crabs requires a cold storage unit on the fishing boat in order to replicate the crab’s natural environment in the deep seas. The Dungeness Crab, scientifically known as Metacarcinus magister, is a widely distributed crab species along the North American Pacific Coast. If you love crab, but don't know much about them nor the difference of the various types, you'll find these pages interesting, also with some great tips and crab facts. The Horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii) is a popular crab variety in Japanese cuisine. A single crab can weigh up to 4 lbs (1.8 kg) and up to one-quarter of its weight is tasty crab meat. Another popular large variety of crab is the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) which is brown to purple in color and has a hard shell. Systematics. _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); Stone crabs are caught from October through March. 1. Although their shell-to-meat ratio is relatively small, they are still edible and very tasty. This page takes a look at some the most interesting types of crabs and how they live. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-img'); Similar to the Florida Stone crab, the claws of this seawater crab have black tips. var _g1; So, just how big is the Japanese spider crab? Of course, the length of the long spindly legs means that it may take a bit of work to get all of the tasty flaky white meat out. Their behavior has also earned them various names. If chefs wish to learn which claws have the most meat, they float them in a tank of water. Found along the Eastern coast of the United States as well as other bodies of water, rock crabs have legs that make it look like a spider, which is the reason they can also be called spider crabs. try { From the many species of king crab, Red King crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is a popular type of Alaskan crab. There are roughly 1,100 species of Hermit crabs, divided into seven different families. The Japanese Spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a scary-looking type of crab that tops the list of crabs with long legs. The body of this dark-brown colored crab can grow up to 7” (17 cm) across. The Japanese Spider is a type of large crab with long legs. There is usually plenty of meat in the body as well as the legs and claws. But unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs develop a hard, calcified shell for protection. The popular name of this crab was coined in Maine. Soft-shell crabs. Found quite frequently on the Eastern coast of the United States, blue crabs can be from 3.5 to 5.5 inches in sizes, sometimes larger. Of all of the Snow crab varieties, this type of crab is by far the largest, and it can be steamed, boiled, grilled, sautéed, or even roasted. In fact, this type of crab is very popular among chefs nowadays, because that’s how good the meat is, in part because you can use this crab in everything from salads to crab rolls and much more. This type of crab is identified by its brown color and purplish spots on its hard shell. This is a type of green crab that is generally found in rivers and streams in Italy, Greece and the Balkans. Also called a robber crab or a palm thief, the coconut crab is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, getting up to nine pounds in weight and up to sixteen inches long. They have meat that is tender and sweet, and they are some of the most heavily harvested animals on the planet. Because the shell of Dungeness crabs is especially hard, crab crackers and shrimp forks are usually provided to extract the pinky-white sweet meat. It has a large body which can measure up to 16” (40 cm) in width. Different types of crabs inhabit cold saltwater regions, warm sea areas, bodies of fresh water, and they also live on the land. The snow crabs or Chionoecetes opilio in scientific terms, are a type of crab very popular in Alaska. Snow crabs (rock crabs) are a type of edible Alaskan crab. This crab can be found in the ocean along the Pacific Coast. There are also Dungeness crabs and blue crabs where most of the succulent snow-white meat is in the body. 5. 2. Over their lifetime, Snow crabs usually migrate from shallow to deep waters. Some species are now endangered because of habitat loss as well as intensive hunt which leads to 1½ million tons of crabs cooked alive every year. When cooked, its claws are a light pink to red color with black tips. The King Crab. The Horseshoe crab is rarely eaten due to its low meat content. 456. Moreover, each long leg of the Coconut crab can be as wide as three feet in span, although their maximum size isn’t reached until they are roughly forty to sixty years old. Another type of huge Alaskan king crab is the Blue King Crab (Paralithodes platypus). They are bottom-dwelling omnivores whose males can reach up to nine inches in the width of their shell. } This type of crab is usually eaten for its tasty white meat in the legs and claws. You can find them in the depth of 450 feet. Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae, suborder Xiphosurida, and order Xiphosura. Visit the Atlas Pages for the Crabs of BC . Search for a species: Advanced search. If they live in the wild, Hermit crabs are very social and live in colonies that are quite large, which might be because they are always on the lookout to steal another crab’s shell. Crabs make up 20% of all marine crustaceans caught, farmed, and consumed worldwide, amounting to 1.5 million tonnes annually. Crabs belong to the crustacean family and have over 4500 species. The Southern European crab is a type of small edible freshwater crab. Many people regard crab as one of the tastiest types of seafood you can choose from. The Peekytoe crab (Cancer irroratus) is a brown rock crab species that thrives in cold waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) are also called rock crabs and are a type of Alaskan crab with long legs. Coconut crabs inhabit islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They are essentially sand or Maine crabs, but once the name was changed to “peekytoes,” their popularity took off. The Chesapeake Bay, bordered by Virginia and Maryland, is famous for its blue crabs. Usually, soft-shell crabs are consumed whole sautéed or deep-fried. The meat from male brown crabs is whiter and has a sweeter flavor. Aside from its size, this small crab can actually be found in the depth until 790 m beneath the sea. Rather than a round type of carapace, the side of a Blue crab’s body protrudes to a point. However, Ecuadorian crabs have more variation of color, such as darker-colored feet, whereas the body of a ruggie is the same, uniform color. The total number of species of freshwater crabs, including undescribed species, is thought to be up to 65% higher, potentially up to 2,155 species, although most of the additional species are currently unknown to science. These crabs are also known as calling crabs, and belong to the family Ocypodidae. Let’s look in more detail at some of the most popular types of crabs that you can eat. This is a small to medium-sized crab. Dungeness crab is one of the best crabs to eat. Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow coastal waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. Crabs are a type of crustacean that belong to the order Brachyura. They are very commonly found on Florida beaches, and they have a spike-like tail that many people consider dangerous, even though it is completely harmless. Alaskan King Crab. It is also called the ‘hairy crab’ due to the spiky hairs on its body. Fiddler crabs are easily recognizable by their claws clearly asymmetrical They can be found down to 10 meters (33 ft) in the western and eastern Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. There are many types of edible crabs that have white, sweet, delicious meat when cooked. Horsehair crabs are generally found in the waters around Alaska and Northern Japan.

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