Ocean crabs live in deeper waters, and some species even inhabit places as inhospitable as hydrothermal oceanic vents. When it comes to large crabs, the Red King crab is certainly one of the biggest crabs in the world. Snow Crab. 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. Golden crabs are not as popular as the other types of crabs in Florida because they are harder to find. However, it is most commonly found in the area stretching from Texas to Massachusetts. Their behavior has also earned them various names. Use a cracker on the tough, spiny leg clusters to access long, thick spears of meat inside. They can also be called rock or bay crabs, although the rock crabs are usually actually a type called a snow crab. They have five pairs of legs, the first one containing pincers, and a body that is made mostly of a shell or a carapace that has a small abdominal flap. King crabs are one of the most common and best types of edible crabs due to their large size and delicate taste. This type of crab is identified by its brown color and purplish spots on its hard shell. Compared to the size of other popular types of edible crabs, the Peekytoe crab is a medium-sized crab. Its carapace can grow up to 5.25” (13 cm) in diameter. What’s The Difference Between Fog and Clouds? As its name suggests, the Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) has blue colored shell and legs when caught in the wild. At the end of the article, you will also learn about a few crab species and different types of crabs that are rarely consumed. Although their shell-to-meat ratio is relatively small, they are still edible and very tasty. Why is Volcanic Soil (Andisol) Very Fertile. This is not a problem for them, because they can grow another leg from the scar where the last one was found. The Brown crab is one of the most popular varieties of crab in the United Kingdom. The puget sound king crab is also one kind of many species of king crab. In the waters of U.S. Pacific Ocean we can find three major types of crabs which are the Alaskan king crab, the Dungeness crab and the Snow crab. 1,594. 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. These crabs usually grow to 8” (20 cm) in width, with the body and meat being a good source of meat. They are essentially sand or Maine crabs, but once the name was changed to “peekytoes,” their popularity took off. 15 Different Types of Ivy (Plus Essential Facts), 4 Types of Fossil Fuels (Plus Interesting Facts), Three Types of Mammals (Plus Examples for Each). The Brown crab is one of the most popular varieties of edible sea crab in the UK. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); These crabs are recorded among the largest species of crabs in the world. This becomes a deep red color when cooked. There are many types of edible crabs that have white, sweet, delicious meat when cooked. 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. Horseshoe crabs are from the Limulidae family and live in shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans. King crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus) are counted as one of the best and most common types of edible crabs because of their large size and delightful taste. Compared to varieties of seawater crabs, the Southern European crab is tiny in comparison. 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. Soft-shell crabs. This is when a crab has just shed its outer shell (exoskeleton) and the new one hasn’t hardened yet. There are many types of crab that you can catch, clean, cook and eat. Cooked Dungeness crabs take on a light pink to red color. Rather than a round type of carapace, the side of a Blue crab’s body protrudes to a point. One type of edible freshwater crab is the Southern European crab (Potamon fluviatile). } They are also called Tanner crabs and are a variety of the Snow crab. By law, stone crabs have to be boiled for seven minutes, after which they must be frozen or put on ice. Dungeness crabs have very hard shells and five separate pairs of legs. For example, the name ‘coconut crab’ is because of their ability to climb up palms, pick coconuts, and then open them on the ground. 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. 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. You can eat hermit crabs; however, they are generally quite small and not worth the bother. There are around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs, distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. There are giant snow crabs or king crabs with their long spiky legs and claws that contain most of the crab’s meat. The meat can be eaten plain, stuffed into spring rolls, scattered on salads, or used in other creative ways. Their size could reach up to 10 inches. The Peekytoe crab (Cancer irroratus) is a brown rock crab species that thrives in cold waters in the Atlantic Ocean. var _g1; Source = Shopify . Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow coastal waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. If chefs wish to learn which claws have the most meat, they float them in a tank of water. 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. try { When it comes to taste, the spider crab has a sweeter taste than brown varieties of crab. Snow Crabs. try { The meat from male brown crabs is whiter and has a sweeter flavor. The crabs are then returned to the ocean where they will grow a new claw within 18 months. Photo: basykes / flickr / CC-BY 2.0. But unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs develop a hard, calcified shell for protection. Alaskan King Crab is the biggest crab ever found on Earth. 5. 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. Coconut crabs are that they love coconuts and will even climb trees to get at them. 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. In order to grow larger, crabs have to shed their old shell and form a new one. Its Latin name, Calinectes sapidus, means "beautiful swimmer," and it is indeed a beautiful blue-green color. These animals usually live in intertidal zones, such as the shores of beaches, estuaries and mangroves. The taste of this variety of crab is described as moist and tender with salty hints of the ocean. Although rarely on the menu, Coconut crabs (Birgus latro) are an edible type of land-dwelling crab. 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. Hermit crabs are usually purchased as pets for children because they are fun to play with and very small. Among the three types the Alaskan king crab is known to be the popular crab with relatively high prices. Many people say that coconut crabs taste like a cross between a crab and a lobster. Search for a species: Advanced search. Horsehair crabs are generally found in the waters around Alaska and Northern Japan. Looking like the rock star of the crab world, the orangutan crab is a small species of … For example, snow crabs live in the cold waters around Alaska, Greenland, Siberia, and Japan. Different crab species require different marine environments for survival. Certain crabs can also make a very tasty meal! The Latin name for blue crabs means “beautiful swimmer,” and the name suits it well because it is a beautiful, blue-green-colored crab. Alaskan crab is more a crustacean rather than a true crab. More than 1,300 described species of freshwater crabs are known, out of a total of 6,700 species of crabs across all environments. This is a small to medium-sized crab. The Spruce / Bailey Mariner Blue Crab . They are usually cracked open with a mallet and served with a variety of dipping sauces. Brown crabs have an oval body with edging that looks like a pie crust. Soft-Shell Crabs. One species, Portunus trituberculatus, accounts for one-fifth of that total. 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. The meat of the female crabs is a brown type of crab meat that has a rich flavor. Most Dungeness crabs live approximately ten years, and because of their taste, there is an extremely popular type of crab to eat. 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. They are also called ‘robber crabs’ or ‘palm thief’ as they are speculative creatures that will steal anything edible they can find. Other names include Queen crabs and tanner crabs. Coconut crabs eat meats, nuts, fruits, and seeds, and one aspect that makes them unique is their inability to survive for long periods of time under the water – in fact, they will eventually drown if they are underwater for too long. Because this crab looks like a horseshoe, this is how the item gets its name. They are found in the waters from Alaska to the Baja area of Mexico and are named for a town called Dungeness, which was formerly found in Washington State. The taste and look of the sweet crab meat depend on the sex of the crustacean. For simply steamed legs, try this King Crab Leg recipe. 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. 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. Types Of Crabs - There are about 850 types of crabs that are found throughout tropical and semi-tropical regions. There are three different types of king crabs that get harvested commercially: the red, blue, and golden king crab. These crabs are incredibly sweet—and many aficionados prefer them to any other type of crab. The Horseshoe crab is a type of arthropod and, despite their name, are not a true variety of crab. 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 meat from cooked Blue crabs is described as salty-sweet. Stone crabs are caught from October through March. _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); One of the most interesting aspects of horseshoe crabs is that they have been around some 500-million years, and they are found along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to the Yucatan, as well as Asian coasts, the Philippines, and India. In recent years, Bairdi crabs have suffered due to overfishing, which has resulted in strict controls being placed over fisheries that specialize in this type of crab. Puget sound king crab is the next types of ocean crabs. 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. 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. Types of pet crabs Rainbow land crab and Halloween land crab. There are also Dungeness crabs and blue crabs where most of the succulent snow-white meat is in the body. It is generally boiled in salt water to cook it. They have … You can boil them in a similar way to Blue crab and they have a rich sweet taste. This is because, without freezing, stone crabs can have an iodine taste that is not very pleasant. This crab can be found in the ocean along the Pacific Coast. 3. They tend to live in shallower waters in bays and estuaries along the coast. When cooked, its claws are a light pink to red color with black tips. The Horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii) is a popular crab variety in Japanese cuisine. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); The Dungeness Crab, scientifically known as Metacarcinus magister, is a widely distributed crab species along the North American Pacific Coast. Here, learn all about the general identifying information for the most well-known edible types of crab. With Hermit crabs, lifespans and sizes vary greatly and in fact, they can live anywhere from a few months all the way up to thirty years. The jeweled anemone crab has a symbiotic relationship with two types of anemone. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); The anemone benefits by receiving food scrapes from the crab, while the crab benefits by getting a bit of extra protection and camouflage. It belongs to the family Lithodidae which comprises of forty species. Cooking a Blue crab causes the shell to turn a distinct deep red color common to most cooked crustaceans. Unlike some other kinds of edible crabs, you can easily break open the legs to get to the meat. Introduction . It is also called the ‘hairy crab’ due to the spiky hairs on its body. In fact, Hermit crabs consider their shells so important that they are known to kill other Hermit crabs in order to steal their shell. The Chesapeake Bay, bordered by Virginia and Maryland, is famous for its blue crabs. You can find them in the depth of 450 feet. They’re sold live, cooked whole, frozen, and as picked meat. The Peekytoe crab (Atlantic rock crab) is a type of cold ocean crab. Hermit crab is a type of small crab that doesn’t develop its own hard shell. Hermit crabs are not a true species of crab as they don’t belong to the Brachyura infraorder. There are roughly 1,100 species of Hermit crabs, divided into seven different families. These crabs are found in the warm waters in Central America and the East Coast of the US. They are characterized by the brown tones of the upper part of their shells, which become lighter in the lower one. This is a type of green crab that is generally found in rivers and streams in Italy, Greece and the Balkans. Their soft curved bodies can retract into hard shells left behind by various types of snails. Snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) are also called rock crabs and are a type of Alaskan crab with long legs. 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. An adult brown crab can weigh up to 6.6 lbs (3 kg) with about one-third of its weight being meat. Horseshoe crabs have ten eyes and in fact, are not really crabs at all, being more closely related to animals such as scorpions, ticks, and even spiders. This page takes a look at some the most interesting types of crabs and how they live. Crabs are a type of crustacean that belong to the order Brachyura. 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. There are thousands of different types of crabs that are divided into over 850 species. Crabs make up 20% of all marine crustaceans caught, farmed, and consumed worldwide, amounting to 1.5 million tonnes annually. Analysis of some of these crabs are as follows; 1. It has a large body which can measure up to 16” (40 cm) in width. This type of crab is usually only captured by its pincers, because that is where the biggest amount of meat is stored and with a more delicate flavor. } Aside from its size, this small crab can actually be found in the depth until 790 m beneath the sea. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); They have meat that is tender and sweet, and they are some of the most heavily harvested animals on the planet. 2. They’re also one of the largest species of edible crab, with shells sometimes spanning 11 inches (and a leg span of 6 feet)! Over their lifetime, Snow crabs usually migrate from shallow to deep waters. Peekytoe crabs have white meat with little specks of pink and a very sweet flavor that is enjoyed by all types of chefs. This type of crab is usually eaten for its tasty white meat in the legs and claws. 13+ Different Types of Crabs. Blue crabs are also a popular type of crab to serve as a soft-shelled crab. 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. These invertebrates are omnivores and consume algae, fungi, bacteria, other crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. Often called the Alaskan King crab, the Russian crab, or the Japanese crab, these crabs can get up to 25 pounds in weight and up to ten feet in size. Actually, the coconut crab is a type of hermit crab. Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae, suborder Xiphosurida, and order Xiphosura. They are bottom-dwelling omnivores whose males can reach up to nine inches in the width of their shell. Similar to the Florida Stone crab, the claws of this seawater crab have black tips. The Florida Stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) is another popular type of marine crab that is prized for its delicious delicately-flavored meat. Bairdi crabs have short tails and are very specialized. Crabs belong to the crustacean family and have over 4500 species. The crabs with less meat will float to the top of the tank, and they then sell those crabs as “lights.”. You will find Dungeness Crabs as far north as the Aleutian Islands, Alaska south as Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Blue Crab A native of the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the blue crab ranges from Nova Scotia to Argentina. The Florida Stone crab has large claws with sweet and succulent meet. Even though they are a beautiful blue color, they do change to a reddish color as other crabs when they are cooked. Blue crabs are a type of swimming crab that have 2 paddle-like feet to help it swim. 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. 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. INTRODUCTION TO THE CRABS, SHRIMPS AND CRAYFISH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (ORDER DECAPODA) Pacific Red Hermit Crab (Elassochirus gilli), photo by Aaron Baldwin. 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. 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. The Brown crab (Cancer pagurus) is an edible crab with a reddish-brown shell, legs, and claws. 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). An adult green crab may only average about 2” (5 cm) and they have been a popular food source for hundreds of years. To narrow down the options, let’s look at some of the most popular types of pet crabs. The Horsehair crab is a type of small to medium-sized edible crab. From the many species of king crab, Red King crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is a popular type of Alaskan crab. 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. Their popular name is a misnomer, as they are not true crabs, nor even crustaceans, as crabs are, but a different order of arthropod.. This crab variety is prized for the amount of meat in its body. One of the reasons Dungeness crabs are so popular is due to their sweet-tasting meat. Rather than being something to fear, the meat of a Japanese spider crab is a delicious delicacy. With stone crabs, only the claws themselves are eaten, and since crabs can regenerate their claws every eighteen months, fishermen often twist off a claw and toss the crabs back into the water, leaving them with one claw to defend themselves. This species of crab is also found in the cold seas around Alaska and in the North Atlantic Ocean. Fiddler crabs are easily recognizable by their claws clearly asymmetrical However, Ecuadorian crabs have more variation of color, such as darker-colored feet, whereas the body of a ruggie is the same, uniform color. Different species of crab really vary in size and in their behaviour. } catch(e) {}, Nayturr 1. Visit the Atlas Pages for the Crabs of BC . if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { Coconut crabs inhabit islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. var _g1; Of course, this is not to say you should pick up a horseshoe crab by the tail, because that action can harm the animal. Some of them make great pets, whereas others aren’t as suitable. With the Florida Stone crab, it is only the meat from the large claws that is consumed. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { Delicious? 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 type of huge Alaskan king crab is the Blue King Crab (Paralithodes platypus). The bodies of these super-sized crustaceans can measure up to 11” (28 cm) across and weigh up to 28 lbs (nearly 13 kg). The Southern European crab is a type of small edible freshwater crab. Different types of crabs inhabit cold saltwater regions, warm sea areas, bodies of fresh water, and they also live on the land. See also: Types of Ocean Crabs – List of Marine Invertebrates 1. Another species of hermit crabs, the Coenobita rugosus, looks very similar to the Ecuadorian crabs except for a few key differences. They can be found down to 10 meters (33 ft) in the western and eastern Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. The reason they are called. The largest crab species is fished from October to January in Norton Sound, Alaska, and the Bering Sea. 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. There are many types of crab; each crab has its own characteristics and is used for cooking or for different purposes. This is not as large as the Red King crab, but can still weigh up to 18 lbs (8.2 kg). They like to have them stuck to whatever shell they are in. Blue crab claws are also available. Hermit crabs make up a group of crabs in the Paguroidea superfamily and can include marine crabs and land hermit crabs. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); One of the unique features of this crab-like species is that they don’t develop their own hard exoskeleton. The meat extracted from the claws is one of the best to eat – it is sweet and succulent with a firm texture. Compared to the size of other popular types of edible crabs, the Peekytoe crab is a medium-sized crab. They live in water that at least 1000 feet deep. Its carapace can grow up to 5.25” (13 cm) in diameter. These large-sized crabs are found in the waters around the East Coast of the US, the Gulf of Mexico, Japan, and Europe. The Japanese Spider is a type of large crab with long legs. They have a sweet, succulent flesh that is pink in color, and their prime season is Winter time. 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. They are captured mostly through hooks and lines, baited pots, nets, and even by hand. It has smaller chelae than other popular crabs, such as the Florida Stone crab. There are over 6,000 types of crab and crab subspecies. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); Let’s look in more detail at some of the most popular types of crabs that you can eat. This is where geothermic energy is released into sea water due to holes in the earth's crust. One of the identifying features of the Florida Stone crab is its large pincers on the front of its body. European green crabs have now become an invasive species in North America. The Peekytoe crab (Cancer irroratus) is a brown rock crab species that thrives in cold waters in the Atlantic Ocean. A sweet, easy staple at all-you-can-eat seafood buffets. Another popular large variety of crab is the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) which is brown to purple in color and has a hard shell. The taste of Horsehair crab meat is described as sweet and delicate and is considered as one of the best tasting crab. The snow crabs or Chionoecetes opilio in scientific terms, are a type of crab very popular in Alaska. They have sweet white meat that has an oilier texture than regular crab meat. The Horseshoe crab is rarely eaten due to its low meat content. Bairdi crabs are also called “true” crabs, and their pincer claws are in the front of their legs. The leg span can reach a massive 18 ft. (5.5 m) in length. 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. The Japanese Spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a scary-looking type of crab that tops the list of crabs with long legs. Stone crabs have large claws that are very hard and have a lot of meat on the inside. Much of the delicious white meat is found in the legs of the Red King crab that can have a span of nearly 5 ft. (1.8 m)! 456. Blue crabs: By far the most common fresh crab is the blue crab. by Aaron Baldwin. Dungeness crabs are very large, usually weighing from 1.75 to 4 pounds, and they have a color that is purplish-brown. } catch(e) {}. Apart from the blue color of its shell, one of the identifying features of this popular crab variety is the shape of its body (carapace). The enormous cold-water crab can weigh up to 42 lbs (19 kg)! So, just how big is the Japanese spider crab? These brownish-red colored claws (chelae) with black tips are the same color as its hard outer shell. Due to the hardness of the claws, you need a mallet or crab crackers to get to the meat.
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