Stone Crab Facts

Contents:

1. Description of Stone Crab

2. Description of Stone Crab Claw

3. Stone Crab Claw Grading Process

4. Description of Stone Crab Harvesting

5. Stone Crab Fishery

6. How to Cook Stone Crab Claws

Description of Stone Crab

The stone crab's carapace is 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and approximately 4 inches wide. Stone crabs prefer bay bottoms, oyster reefs, and rock jetties where they can find refuge from predators. Juvenile stone crab hide in rocks or seagrass beds. Adult stone crab dig burrows in mud or sand. Stone crabs prefer to feed on oysters, other small mullusts, and crustaceans. Predators that feed on stone crab include grouper, sea turtles, cobia, and octopuses. Since stone crabs' eyes are on stalks, they can see 360 degrees. The stone crab lifespan is seven to eight years.

Description of Stone Crab Claw

The stone crab loses its claw easily to escape from predators or tight spaces, but their claws will grow back. When a claw is broken in the right place, the wound will quickly heal itself and very little blood is lost. It only takes about one year for the claw to grow back to its normal size. Each time the crab molts, the new claw grows larger. The larger claw of the two stone crab claws is called the "crusher" claw, while the smaller stone crab claw is called the "pincer" claw.

Stone Crab Grading Process

Stone crab claws are graded based on ounce weight. Medium stone crab claws weigh up to 3 ounces. Large stone crab claws weigh between 3 and 5 ounces. Jumbo stone crab claws weigh between 5 and 8 ounces. Colossal stone crab claws weigh 8 ounces and up.

Description of Stone Crab Harvesting

Stone crab season begins on October 15th of each year and lasts through May 15th. Stone Crabs are captured in baited traps. Stone crab traps are either wooden or plastic depending on the stone crabbers taste and budget. A benefit to wood stone crab traps over plastic stone crab traps is that the wood traps attain a chum-like smell that attracts the stone crab. Wood stone crab traps, however, typically last only a couple of years whereas plastic traps may last 5 years or more. Stone crabbers say that dirtier traps attract more crabs. Stone crabs are a renewable resource and are returned to their natural habitat to reproduce and regenerate their stone crab claws.

Stone Crab Fishery

Stone crab is usually fished near jetties, oyster reefs or other rocky areas. Harvesting is accomplished by removing one or both claws from the live animal and returning it to the ocean where it can regrow the lost claw. To be kept, stone crab claws must be 2.75 inches long, measured from the tips of the immovable finger to the first joint. Fresh Choice Seafood's crabbers prefer to leave the smaller claw in hopes of it growing to Jumbo size! Egg bearing females are not allowed to be declawed.

How to Cook Stone Crab Claws

Most stone crab claws are boiled immediately after harvest. Stone crab claws must be cooked prior to being chilled or else their meat will stick to the claw shell. Fresh Choice Seafood recommends eating stone crab claws chilled and dipping them into our special homemade mustard sauce. Enjoy!!