Edible Crab Size report

Bread crab (scientific name: Cancer pagurus), usually called edible or brown crab. This important seafood is mainly distributed in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea and is mainly concentrated in the waters near the British Isles. It is an important aquatic product in Britain, France, Ireland, and other countries. It is also often called "British Bread Crab" or "Irish Golden Crab."

In Europe, bread crab is a very important crab species. The status of bread crab in Europe is roughly equivalent to that of Portunus trituberculatus in China, blue crab in the United States, and Dungeness crab in Canada. The bread crab is currently the largest crab species caught in Western Europe, especially off the coast of the British Isles, where more than 60,000 tons are caught every year, more than half of which are caught in the UK.

The edible crab is a reddish brown and robust crab. It is large in size, brown in color apart from black tips on the end of its claws, and has a thick, oval-shaped shell (carapace) with a distinctive pie crust edge. You will find out more interesting facts about the edible crab.

Edible Crab Size And Appearance

The carapace of edible crabs is reddish-brown and oval, like walking bread. Its carapace has five longitudinal warty protrusions on the surface and soft hairs on the sides. The juvenile shell is purple-brown with white spots. Its first step evolved into a pair of big strong claws; the other legs are sharp and covered with bristles; the tops of the big claws and other legs are both black. Their chelicerae are asymmetrical in shape, with thicker knuckles on the right; when retracted, the chelicera clings to the forehead. The male abdomen is elongated, and the third to fifth segments are healed. The female abdomen is broad and long.

They live on the lower shore and out under the sea to about 100m depth. On rocky shores, they have normally hidden away under boulders. It is an active predator and will feast on mussels, whelks, and even smaller crabs. They also dig for prey, such as razor clams and otter shells.

Average Size of Edible Crab

Edible crabs have an oval-shaped body and are a reddish brown color with a carapace width which can grow up to 25 cm in length but usually up to 15 cm. The crabmeat of mature edible crab accounts for about one-third of the body weight, about one-third of the weight of the crabmeat is white meat, and two-thirds are crab roe. Male crabs are mainly white meat, while female crabs have richer roe. They reach sexual maturity at around 11 cm. They mate through copulation in spring and summer. Lifespan is thought to be 30-40 years or even substantially longer.

Final Words

In the 18th century, edible crabs were mainly used to trap lobsters. In the 20th century, the edible crab still did not sell well, so it became fishermen's food. Nowadays, edible crabs are loved by food lovers around the world. Unlike Dungeness and Jonah crabs, bread crabs are available in both live and frozen forms, and all bread crabs are female. The meat of bread crab and crab claws is plump and tender, and the plump and plump crab roe makes it the most popular crab species.