Tasmanian giant crab
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| Tasmanian giant crab | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Pseudocarcinus gigas Lamarck, 1818 |
The Tasmanian giant crab, sometimes known as the giant deepwater crab, giant southern crab and queen crab, is a species of crab that occurs in the southern waters of Australia on the edge of the continental shelf at a depth mostly between 140-270 m, and one of the largest crabs in the world, reaching a mass of 13 kg and a carapace width of up to 46 cm.
The species has been commercially fished in Tasmanian waters since 1992. Following concerns surrounding the sustainability of catch numbers, in 2004 the total allowable catch was adjusted to 62.1 tonnes. In 2006 twenty-five operators competed for the catch, delivering a total catch valued at about AUD 2 million. This crab breaths through gills.
The Tasmanian giant crab has a white shell with claws that are splashed in red. The females' shells change colors when they are producing eggs.
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