Facts About Stone Crabs

Stone crabs are a large type of crab living along the Gulf of Mexico and in Florida waters. They are a popular seafood meal and delicious served with butter, garlic or sauces. The meat is sweet and low fat, making it a healthy food choice. Wildlife fisheries use traps to catch these crabs, and their claws are then sold around the world for consumer use.

Types

Caught Florida Stone Crab

The main two types of stone crab are the Gulf stone crab and the Florida stone crab. Interbreeding has caused a hybrid type of the two. In the fishing industry, all are caught and sold interchangeably for distribution to restaurants and other places as a food source.

Habitat

Stone Crab Habitat

Stone crabs are burrowers to escape predators. They prefer to live at the bottom of among rocks and oyster reefs. During feeding, the adults burrow into mud to hide from prey. As the prey passes by, the stone crab jumps out using its claws to catch the food. Young crabs are not able to burrow far, so they tend to hide among the sea grass and seaweeds.

Claws

Broken Claw

Stone crabs can lose their claws and then grow them back. If the claw breaks the wrong way, the crabs can lose too much blood to survive. But when the crab is caught by a predator and the claw breaks off correctly, the crab escapes and lives. New claws take one year to fully regenerate. The largest claw is called a crusher claw. The smaller one is the pincher claw. Stone crabs are considered right-clawed or left-clawed depending on which side their crusher claw is on.

Function

Claw Dinner

In their natural habitat, stone crabs assist in keeping the environmental system in the waters healthy by feeding on and being preyed upon by other species. They also serve as a popular food because their claws are eaten by humans. The claws taste like lobster and are very popular among seafood lovers.

Fishing

Crab Trap

Fishing for stone crabs is different from fishing for other species because, in most cases, they are not killed. Because the claw is the part humans eat and the claws are regenerated, the crabs are set free after their claws are harvested. In fact, many states have laws that prohibit killing stone crabs. The measurement of the fishing harvest is called "landings." In the 1960s, stone crab landings averaged 500 lbs. Currently, stone crab landings have climbed to 3 million lbs. and continue to increase. All stone crabs are caught by fishing in their wild habitat because they are not raised in aquaculture farming facilities like other species.

Resources

• Stone Crab Consumer Information
• Stone Crab Recipes
• How to Crack a Stone Crab Claw