Brown Crab
The brown crab, (cancer pagurus), is also known as the edible crab. It mainly inhabits shallow waters in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Fisheries in the British Isles rely on the brown crab for the majority of their commercial trade. This crab is a very large crab and the mature adult may have a carapace width of up to ten inches and weigh up to 6.6 pounds!
An interesting fact is that the Brown Crab has white meat in the claws and brown meat in the body. I have never tried Brown Crab, but I'm told the brown meat is tastier than the white.
I used to travel to Galway, Ireland frequently and never noticed crab on the menu in any of the restaurants I would encounter. Two interesting sites related to the Brown Crab in Ireland are McBride Fishing Co. Ltd. in Downings, County Donegal and Mfullahmore Sea Farm Ltd. in Ciffoney, County Sligo. Both ship most of their catch to Spain and France the main consumers of this tasty crustacean.
Size: The Brown Crab is a very large true crab. A carapace width up to ten inches with most averaging about six inches. The heaviest can weigh as much as six and a half pounds!
Mating: Reproduction occurs in winter; the male captures the female and holds her under himself until she moults. This is typical of true crabs. Internal fertilization takes place before the hardening of the new carapace, with the aid of two abdominal appendages (gonopods). After mating, the female retreats to a pit on the sea floor to lay her eggs. Between 250,000 and 3,000,000 fertilised eggs are held under the female's abdomen for up to eight months until they hatch.
The first developmental stage after hatching is a planktonic larva (1 mm) called the zoea that develops into a post larva (megalopa) , and finally a juvenile. The first juvenile stage is characterised by a well-developed abdomen, which will, in time, become reduced in size and folded under the sternum. Juveniles settle to the sea floor in the intertidal zone, where they stay until they reach a carapace width of 60–70 mm (2.4–2.8 in) and then migrate to deeper water. The growth rate in males slows from an increase in carapace width of 10 mm per year before it is eight years old, to 2 mm per year thereafter.Females grow at about half the rate of males, probably due to the energetic demands of egg laying. Sexial maturity is reached at a carapace width of 12.7 cm (5.0 in) in females, and 11 cm (4.3 in) in males. Longevity is typically 25–30 years, although exceptional individuals may live for up to 100 years. (Wikipedia)
The first developmental stage after hatching is a planktonic larva (1 mm) called the zoea that develops into a post larva (megalopa) , and finally a juvenile. The first juvenile stage is characterised by a well-developed abdomen, which will, in time, become reduced in size and folded under the sternum. Juveniles settle to the sea floor in the intertidal zone, where they stay until they reach a carapace width of 60–70 mm (2.4–2.8 in) and then migrate to deeper water. The growth rate in males slows from an increase in carapace width of 10 mm per year before it is eight years old, to 2 mm per year thereafter.Females grow at about half the rate of males, probably due to the energetic demands of egg laying. Sexial maturity is reached at a carapace width of 12.7 cm (5.0 in) in females, and 11 cm (4.3 in) in males. Longevity is typically 25–30 years, although exceptional individuals may live for up to 100 years. (Wikipedia)
Sustainability: I know of no sustainability data for the Brown Crab. However, a number of restrictions apply to crabbing, such as it is illegal to catch females carrying eggs and size restrictions are regulated by both the European Union and the UK government.
Size of Catch: About 60,000 tonnes. A tonne is equal to 2240 pounds or 1000 kilograms. Our common ton is equal to 2000 pounds.
From Ireland
I found a great site for McBride Fishing Co. Ltd. in Downings, County Donegal, Ireland. They catch mostly Brown Crabs and ship them to Europe as in this lorry carrying live crabs.