Taxonomic description

• Colors range from yellowish brown to purple, and has an oval carapace that can reach 25 cm (9.8 in) in width, although it is typically under 20 cm (7.9 in). ^[3]
• Has four pairs of walking legs and a pair of claws with light colored, hooked tips and serrated teeth. ^[3]
• Can weigh up to 2 kg (4 lbs). ^[3]

Distribution

• Found from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Point Conception, near Santa Barbara, Californi. ^[4]
• Occasionally found as far south as Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico. ^[4]

Life History

• Maximum life expectancy is 8 to 13 years, but commercially caught individuals are usually about 4 years old. ^[4]
• Adults tend to molt simultaneously; females in the spring, males in the late summer. ^[3]
• In the first 2 years, it may molt as many as 7 times per year, but only molts once a year when mature. ^[3]
• Populations undergo cyclic fluctuations due to varying oceanic conditions including currents, ocean temperature, and food availability. ^[4]
• Males mate with female crabs after they molt in the late spring and summer, but the eggs are not immediately fertilized. Viable sperm can remain in a female until the eggs are fully developed. ^[3]
• Many females, especially larger crabs that molt less frequently, do not reproduce annually. ^[3]

Habitat

• Adults prefer eelgrass beds, and sandy or muddy bottom areas. Juveniles frequent shallow estuarine areas with protective structures such as pilings or woody debris and avoid habitat overlap with the adult crabs. ^[3]
• Lives at variable depths from the intertidal zone to 230m but is most abundant above 90-m depth. ^[3]
• Claws used for defense and to tear apart large food items. ^[3]
• As with most decapods, smaller oral appendages pass food particles into the mouth; and a gastric mill (collection of tooth-like structures) inside the stomach aids digestion. ^[3]
• As an adult, feeds primarily on bivalves, crustaceans, and fish; as a juvenile it feeds on fish, shrimp, mollusks and crustaceans. Uses claws to chip away at shells until open. ^[3]
• Predators include seals, sea lions, a variety of fish, and humans. ^[3]
• Can be impacted by many chemicals found in urban runoff, including insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides. ^[5]

Edible Portions

• The claws are the most widely consumed part of the crab. The large claw muscle makes up the largest section of meat and is more easily cracked than other commonly eaten crabs. ^[10]
• The meat of the legs, which is easily separated from the soft shell, and body, which is accessed by cracking the shell in half lengthwise, are also consumed. ^[10]
• Although the shell is not edible, it can be broken and used in a fish stock for chowder or soup bases.
• One whole crab yields around 0.5 pounds of meat. ^[15]

Description of Meat

• Meat is sweet and mild, with tender body and slightly firmer leg and claw meat. ^[10]

Culinary Uses

• This crab is sold live, fresh, or frozen as a whole crab, and fresh or frozen picked meat. It can also be eaten whole or cracked steamed, chilled, or roasted.
• Common culinary uses also include its use in soups, crabcakes, and salads. Recipe suggestions at Sonoma Magazine. ^[11]
• Cooking instructions at Instructables cooking. ^[12]

Nutritional Information

• Nutritional information for Dungeness Crab is displayed (right). ^[13]
• Considered a great source of protein while remaining low in fat and calories. ^[13]

Toxicity Report

• Domoic acid, a product of harmful algal blooms, can be found in the viscera (guts) of crabs during blooms; avoid eating during periods of bloom, remove viscera before cooking, and/or check for warnings. ^[2,14]

Seasonal Availability

• It is available fresh during season, late fall until mid-summer. ^[1,10]