| Dungeness crab | |
|---|---|
| Dungeness crab measuring 17 cm (6.7 in) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Cancridae |
| Genus: | Metacarcinus |
| Species: | M. magister |
| Binomial name | |
| Metacarcinus magister (Dana, 1852) [1] |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cancer magister Dana, 1852 [1] |
|
The Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister (formerly Cancer magister), is a species of crab that inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms on the west coast of North America. It typically grows to 20 cm (7.9 in) across the carapace and is a popular seafood. Its common name comes from the port of Dungeness, Washington.
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The carapace width of mature Dungeness crabs may reach 25 centimetres (9.8 in) in some areas off the coast of Washington, but are typically under 20 centimetres (7.9 in).[2] They are a popular delicacy, and are the most commercially important crab in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the western states generally.[3] The annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival is held in Port Angeles each October.[4]
Dungeness crabs have a wide, long, hard shell, which they must periodically moult to grow; this process is called ecdysis. They have five pairs of legs, which are similarly armoured, the foremost pair of which ends in claws that the crab uses both as defence and to tear apart large food items. The crab uses its smaller appendages to pass the food particles into its mouth. Once inside the crab's stomach, food is further digested by the "gastric mill", a collection of tooth-like structures. Metacarcinus magister prefers to eat clams, other crustaceans and small fish, but is also an effective scavenger. Dungeness crabs can also bury themselves completely in the sand if threatened.
Mature female crabs generally moult between May and August, and mating occurs immediately after the female has moulted and before the new exoskeleton hardens.[5] Males are attracted to potential mates by pheromones present in the urine of female Dungeness crabs. Upon locating an available female, the male initiates a protective pre-mating embrace that lasts for several days. In this embrace, the female is tucked underneath the male, oriented such that their abdomens touch and their heads face each other. Mating occurs only after the female has moulted, and the female signals her readiness to moult by urinating on or near the antennae of the male. The female extrudes the eggs from her body several months later; however, they remain attached under her abdomen for three to five months until they hatch. Young crabs are free-swimming after hatching, and go through five larval stages before reaching maturity after about ten moults or two years.
The Dungeness crab is named after Dungeness, Washington,[6] which is located approximately five miles north of Sequim and 15 miles (24 km) east of Port Angeles. Its range extends from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Point Conception, California.[7]
Dungeness crab have recently been found in the Atlantic Ocean, far from their known range, raising concern about their possible effects on the local wildlife.[8]
About one-quarter of the crab's weight is meat.[9] The flesh has what is considered to be a delicate flavour that is slightly sweet. Dungeness crabs can typically be purchased either live or cooked. Larger crabs are valued for the higher meat-to-shell ratio. Live crabs are cooked simply by dropping into boiling salt water, waiting for a boil to return and then allowing it to continue for 15 minutes. After which time the crabs are removed and placed into cold water and then cleaned. Two common tools for removing crab meat from the shell are a crab cracker and a shrimp fork. Sometimes, a cleaver, mallet or small hammer is used for cracking.[10]
Seafood Watch has given the Dungeness crab a sustainable seafood rating of 'Best Choice'.[11]
In 2009, based on lobbying from schoolchildren at Sunset Primary School in West Linn, Oregon, and citing its importance to the Oregon economy, the Oregon State Legislature designated the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean of Oregon.[12]
| External identifiers for Metacarcinus magister | |
|---|---|
| EOL | 4257742 |
| ITIS | 98675 |
| NCBI | 29965 |
| WoRMS | 440388 |
| Also found in: [//species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cancer_magister Wikispecies], ADW | |